The New Life with Ann
by RainbowsNSmiles5
Summary: Jack, wanting a fresh start, moves to small Mineral Town to work a job he finally found, tries to please the Inn keeper's daughter while dealing with a disturbing past. JackXAnn  My First FanFic :P
1. Black Heart

**** I absolutely love Ann in Harvest Moon! This is my first Fanfic story so I hope y'all like it! And don't forget to REVIEW! :) ****

**(6-6-11) Update: I have just made some corrections (****spelling, grammatical, etc.) **on all chapters before chapter 12.

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Chapter 1

When I stared out at the sea, I felt so relaxed and happy. No more would I have to put up with my unloving father. I hated him. I can't even remember the last time my father has told me that he loved me or was proud to be my father. But I do remember that every day he would put me down and treat me like I'm scum. Well, not anymore. I graduated from high school, and found a job as far away from home as I could. Soon, the boat will arrive at a small country town. Mineral Town I think it was called. I had met a man named Zack one day while looking for a job and he told me an old man where he lives needs some help and would be willing to pay. I never did ask what the job was, but I didn't really care just as long as it's a paying job. He told me I could hitch a ride on his shipping boat.

We finally arrived to Mineral Town and I was amazed at how beautiful the beach was. Usually the beaches in the city had trash everywhere and the water would be extremely dirty. But here, the beach was trash free and the water was beautifully blue.

"Well, here we are Jack," Zack said.

"Yep, here we are. That sure was a long ride"

"Yeah. So, have you already found a place to stay?"

Oops. "Oh no! I forgot about that!" I said, panicking. I've already made myself homeless. Perfect!

Zack looked pretty amused and started laughing. "Wow dude! You're freaking out! Don't worry, we have an inn here."

"….Oh." I just freaked out for nothing. I feel so embarrassed.

"So, do you want me to show you where the Inn is now or do you want to hang out at the beach for a while?"

"Actually, I think I'll just walk around town and find it on my own and maybe introduce myself a little."

"Alright, sounds good to me! I'll be at the Inn to show you your new job in the morning. Is ten o'clock fine?

"That's fine. See you then."

I started walking around town. I also started noticing how fresh the air smelt here and how green the grass was here compared to the city. I kept walking until I arrived at a church. I saw a calm, blond man and two happy children outside.

"Hello there! I don't believe I've seen you before," the blonde man said so friendly.

"I'm new around here. I'm from the city and I'll be staying at the Inn."

"That's great! We normally don't have many people moving from the city to live here."

"I don't see why not. So far that I've seen, this place is great!" I said. Carter looked grateful that I said that.

"Thank you! It's nice that you feel that way," he said, overjoyed.

"You're welcome err…"

"My name is Carter. I am the town's pastor."

"I'm Jack."

"Mr. Carter! Stu won't stop showing me bugs!" the black haired girl screamed.

"Aw, come on May! You're just like my sis!" Stu complained.

Carter laughed. "They are such a handful sometimes."

I laughed a little too. "Well, I should be going now. I have to check into the Inn."

"Okay, it was nice to meet you, Jack."

I nodded and waved as I walked away.

After twenty minutes of slowly walking around town, I had found the Inn. During that short time, I somehow managed to meet six people, who I happened to run into while walking. I walked into the Inn and a girl sitting at an empty table noticed me and made her way towards me. She had orange hair tied back into a braid with a big ribbon on top. Her eyes were as blue as the ocean water I saw on the beach. She wore a yellow shirt with overalls and worn out white sneakers.

"Hi! I don't think we've met before," the girl said with a big happy grin on her face. She was definitely friendly and was kind of cute too.

"I'm new here. I plan on checking in to this Inn."

"That's great! Just sit right over there at that bar and I'll be right back to check you in!" she said pointing towards the direction of the bar.

"Wait… So, you work here?" I said a bit confused. I thought she was a customer since she was sitting at the table eating with three plates on the table. I assumed they were her friend's leftover dishes or something.

"I sure do! My dad runs this place and I help him. Why? Is there something wrong?" she asked with a worried face.

"Oh, no. I just thought you were a customer at first since I saw you over there eating. That's all."

She laughed a little. "Nah, I was just eating my lunch."

"With your friends?" I asked. Why am I so curious about this girl? She just told me she was just having lunch. Why do I need to know if her friends were with her? It's none of my business. She looked confused after that question.

"Umm…no. Why do you ask?"

"Well, there are three plates there so I just figured..."

She turned red. Why would she be turning red? I should be the one turning red for embarrassing myself by asking so many questions that really were none of my business.

"Actually those are mine too," she said.

"What? You ate three dishes?" I said, shocked. I can't even eat that much for lunch and here is this very skinny girl saying she ate three dishes. She must be joking!

"Guilty. I get kind of hungry on the job," she said while laughing. Her laughter was pretty contagious because now I was laughing. Then an orange haired man with a mustache walked up to us. To be honest, he kind of looked mean.

"What are you two laughing about over here?" he asked curiously. He kept looking at me; sort of like he was examining me for something indecent.

The girl just answered him like he wasn't mean at all. "He is just a bit surprised by how much I eat." The man had a deep laugh, making him not seem so mean anymore. The girl spoke again to the man. "Anyways, he wants to check in here. Is the sign in sheet still on your desk?"

"No, it's not. I put it back by the register. So, who is this young man?" the man asked the girl.

"Oh, I still didn't get his name."

"My name is Jack," I said, holding my hand out to the man.

He shook my hand firmly. Just by that handshake, I could tell that that man was quite strong.

"My name is Doug and I own this inn. And that is my lovely daughter, Ann."

"Hello!" Ann greeted from across the room.

"It's nice to meet you two."

Ann gathered the necessary papers for signing me in, organized everything, told me I'll have the empty room since the beds in the other room were already full, and discussed the fee for each night.

"Hey, Dad, since Jack is new around here, why don't we make him a welcome meal on the house?" Ann said.

"Sure! Just make sure you eat here all the time! Jack, leave it to me! I'll make the best dang meal you'll ever eat."

"Yeah, my Dad is a really great cook," Ann confirmed.

They made me the best apple pie I have ever ate in my life. I guess Doug wasn't lying. They even served me seconds and it was even better! I'm definitely eating here all the time! I would recommend the meals here in a heartbeat.

"Well I better get back to the kitchen," Doug said. "You know what Jack? I've decided I like you. Jack sure is a nice and handsome young man, isn't he Ann?"

"Yes, he is Dad," she said, sounding a bit embarrassed and wanting their conversation to end. Doug then laughed under his breath before walking through the back door. I laughed a little too at how eager she was to end the conversation. I bet she likes me. After that, she showed me upstairs to my room. It had two extra empty beds and the flowers on the wallpaper would make you want to fall asleep. "Well, here is your room. Is that really all that you've brought with you?" Ann asked, pointing towards my backpack.

"Well, it's all that I really need. I had sold a lot of my clothes and stuff when I was still looking for a job in the city. I was actually homeless for a while but then Zack told me about a job here. Thank Goddess he did because I was starting to run out of clothes."

"That's awful, Jack. What kind of job did you find here?"

"I'm not sure yet. I'm supposed to find out tomorrow, but all I know is that I'm going to be helping an old man."

"Oh, I think I know where you're working at now! I remember the man mentioning he needed more help. You're going to be working for a man named Roy and his granddaughter, Claire. He's very nice."

"Really? Do you know what I'll be doing there?"

"Yes, but I'm not going to tell you."

"Huh? Why not?"

"Because it's more fun not to," she said, giggling.

"That's no fair Ann."

"I know. I guess you'll just have to find out tomorrow!"

"Ann, are you ticklish?"

"Ye-no." She said, changing her answer. I can tell she sensed danger.

"Oh, really?" I jumped on her and started tickling her. She could not stop laughing if her life depended on it. Her face was quickly turning red from laughing so hard. "Now, are going to tell me?" I asked still tickling her.

"Hahaha! NEVER! Hahaha!" Ann cried. She laughed uncontrollably until she finally gave in. "OKAY, OKAY! You're helping him and Claire on his farm!"

I stopped tickling her after she gave in. "Now, was that so hard?" I asked playfully.

"You're the most evil being on this planet, Jack."

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**** Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

**What you didn't? Well its not hard! Just click the button right below! :P **  
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	2. First Day

****Oops! Sorry for the delay! My computer has been messing up lately, so I had to post this chapter from my brother's computer. Also, thanks to ****Awesome Rapidash**** for the review! You gave me some great constructive criticism and I'll try to improve! :)  
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**Don't forget to review, so that I know what I can improve on and give thoughts about the story and suggestions! ****

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Chapter 2

I woke up the following morning fully refreshed and ready to start the day. What better way to do that than to start my first day at my new job? Ann said I'm helping Roy and Claire with Roy's farm. I started to doubt myself. What if he had animals? I've never worked with animals. Heck, I've never even had a pet in my life! The last time I remember being around another animal was at a school field trip to the zoo in third grade. I remember seeing the monkeys in their cages and how I tried to "speak monkey". From the response the monkey gave me, it sounded very mad. I didn't even know what I was saying in monkey language or if I was actually speaking the correct language at all. For all I know, I could've been cussing the monkey out. That would've been a good explanation as to why the monkey replied so hastily.

I rolled over and looked over at the clock; nine 'o clock. I still have an hour to get ready and eat breakfast. I took a hot shower, brushed my teeth, and put on some clean jeans and a white shirt. I looked over at the clock again to check the time. I wanted to make sure I would be ready before Zack arrives to take me to Roy's farm. Only nine-thirty. I went downstairs to find Ann putting clean silverware in a tray on the bar. She noticed me walking down the stairs and had a happy grin on her face.

"Good morning!" she said so cheerfully.

"Good morning, Ann. Do you mind if I order some breakfast?" I asked, taking a seat next to the silverware tray.

"No, I don't mind at all! What do you want?"

"I don't really know what all you guys serve for breakfast. What do you recommend?"

"Hmm, how about an omelet? I can use my secret recipe!" Ann suggested excitedly.

"That sounds great," I said. I had to admit, I was pretty eager to taste Ann's cooking, especially after she said she had a secret recipe. After eating Doug's food, I have to wonder if Ann's food tastes just as great. She went into the back room and a few minutes later she came back with a ham and cheese omelet with a side of hash browns and set it in front of me. It looked delicious. I turned toward the silverware tray to grab a fork, but sure enough, Ann was reaching to grab me a fork and our hands touched each other. It was kind of like those moments you see in a movie when a couple are in the movie theater and reach for the popcorn at the same time. Her hands were very soft, like baby skin.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said sounding a bit embarrassed, pulling her hand away from the tray. I started to laugh to make her feel more comfortable and try prevent this from becoming awkward. The corners of her mouth started to rise, so I think it was working.

"That's okay. I'll get it," I said, grabbing the fork. I started to eat as Ann watched me, waiting for me to review her cooking. Ann's cooking was just as great as Doug's. As amazing as it tasted, it was so hard to believe she was able to make it that fast as well.

"Ann, this is really good!" I said.

She giggled. "Thanks! I'm glad you like it!"

Just as she said that, Zack walked into the Inn.

"Hi, Zack. I never see you here. Did my dad order something? Ann asked, curiously.

"Well, actually he did," he said, immediately regretting what he just said. He quickly changed the subject. "But, uh, actually, I'm here to show Jack where his new job is."

I quickly finished my food and thanked Ann for the meal. Zack and I exited the Inn and started walking.

"Is the place very far from the Inn?" I asked, hoping he would say no. I don't want to walk a mile to work every day.

"Well, this is a pretty small town, so no."

"That's good. Hey, I was just wondering…"

"What?"

"What did Doug order?" I asked "You seemed to not want to talk about it earlier with Ann." It felt like I was poking into another person's business, but I was truly curious. If I don't find the answer for something I'm curious about, I tend to go crazy.

"You have to promise you won't tell Ann, okay?"

"I promise."

"Okay. Doug ordered Ann a present for her birthday. It should arrive tomorrow."

"Really? When is her birthday?"

"It's on the seventeenth, only three days away now."

Wow. Three days? I guess Ann and I were becoming friends so maybe I should get her a gift, but what? I know she likes food. Should I make her a cake? No, she is able to make a cake anytime she wants and definitely make it taste better. That wouldn't make my cake so special. Maybe I could ask Doug what kind of stuff she would want.

Zack and I arrived at Roy's farm. We walked to the red roofed house and knocked on the door until we heard a holler giving us permission to enter. We found an old man with a white beard and round belly sitting on a chair in front of a TV. He took a good look at me.

"Is this the boy you told me about, Zack?" the old man asked.

"Yes, it is, Roy. This is Jack."

"Hello, it's very nice to meet you, sir," I greeted, trying my best to sound polite. I can't risk losing this job.

"It's nice to meet you too, young man."

"Well, I'd really love to stay, but I'm scheduled to go back to the city in an hour and need to prepare everything," Zack said, looking at his watch and tapping his foot.

Roy and I both said our goodbye and Zack left. Roy then took another good look at me, scanning my body.

"Well, you look like you're in pretty good shape, so I think you'll be able to do this job. How good are you with animals?"

"To be honest, I've never even had a pet before," I admitted in shame.

"That's all right. I can just teach you how to take care of the animals. I raise three species of animals: sheep, cows, and horses. I also help Barley down at Yodel farm breed his dog, Hannah. She's pregnant, you know. She will be having her puppies anytime now today." Then, a bright blonde haired girl came down the stairs. Roy took his cue to introduce me. "Claire, this is Jack. He'll be helping us with the farm."

"Hello," Claire greeted shyly to me with a smile. "Are you going with us to Yodel farm today?"

"Yes, he is," Roy answered for me and then looked at me. "This a great opportunity to show you how to deliver animals from Yodel to the farm and vise versa."

"Sound good!" I said.

I honestly was eager to learn more about my job. The more I learn, the easier the job would get and the chance of me getting fired would decline.

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**** Yay! Chapter 2 is done! This was going to be a much longer chapter, but I decided to cut it and put the other part into chapter 3. :P  
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** Hmm, this isn't my favorite chapter. Anyways, chapter 3 is almost done, so sit tight, thank you for reading, and don't forget to review! ****


	3. The Nightmare

**** It feels like it's been months since I've updated when it's only been a week! I guess it's because school is starting! ****

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Chapter 3**  
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We walked to the end of a road and found a sign that read "Yodel Farm". Behind the sign was a huge field filled with many cows, sheep, and a few horses. We entered a house next to the entrance and heard a bell jiggle as we walked into the building. It looked just like my late grandmother's home. She always had shelves filled with thick books, nick-knacks, and candles and her walls had tons of family photos. The only difference I saw in this home and my grandmother's was that the wallpaper here was striped instead of having a blue, floral pattern. I then saw an old man with a pair of small, round glasses in the kitchen area. He turned around to find us next to the door, smiled, and started walking as he spoke.

"Hello, Roy and Claire! Who is this young man you have with you?"

"This is Jack. He is new around town and will be helping us around the farm," Roy announced. The old man then looked at me with approval.

"Well, Jack, my name is Barley and I run this animal farm," he introduced while holding his hand out for me.

"It's nice to meet you, sir." I said while shaking his hand. He nodded and directed his attention back to Roy.

"So, what can I do for you Roy? Are you here to see Hannah?"

"We are here to visit and buy a new cow."

Out of nowhere we heard a door close and I saw the same little girl that was with Carter yesterday start to run into the kitchen area and sit next to a box. She then began to stick her arms into the box and started whispering things like "It'll be okay". Barley looked over to her, then to me, and noticed the curious look on my face.

"Hannah will be having her puppies within the next hour or two," he said.

"What is May doing?" Claire asked. She seemed just as curious as I was.

"Hannah is inside the box and May is trying to comfort her. She does this every time she sees an animal hurting or being uncomfortable. She really loves animals, especially Hannah."

I looked back to the little, black haired girl. She looked into the box with a very concerned face. She kept moving her arms inside the box, most likely petting the dog. At first I thought the little girl was being a bit weird. I mean what would you think if you saw a little girl whispering to a box?

"What do you plan to do with the puppies once they're born, Barley?" I asked. I think I have just possibility thought of the perfect present for Ann!

"First, I'll give one to whoever in town wants one, keep one for May and then I'll ask Zack to sell the rest while he is in the city."

"Well, I'm not exactly sure yet, but I was wondering if I can have a puppy if I can keep it."

Roy and Claire both looked over at me with interest while Barley gave me a great, big smile.

"How about this? I'll hold on to one of the pups until you are completely sure you can keep it. Does that sound all right with you?" Barley said.

"Really? Oh, that would be awesome! Thank you, sir!" I said very excitedly.

I'm not so sure why I was this happy about being able to give Ann a great gift, but all I could think about now was how she would react when I give her the puppy. Then I started to think about what if she didn't like it or if I wouldn't be able to give it to her in the first place. I brushed that thought aside so that I wouldn't put on a sad face. Everyone started to laugh at my excitement, which made me laugh and blush a little too.

"No need to thank me, Jack! Consider this a welcome present from me!" Barley said.

Once our conversation ended, we went outside to Barley's barn to pick up the cow Roy wanted. Claire taught me how to herd it to the farm and once it was in Roy's barn, he decided that I would be able to name the new cow. I couldn't think of a great and creative name on the spot, so I decided to name her Milky. After that, Roy and I went to the fields while Claire stayed in the barn to milk, brush, and feed the cows. Roy wanted me to help him with his harvest. I never thought harvesting crops would be so tiring, but once Roy and I were finished, I was covered in sweat and was trying to catch my breath. Roy didn't look as tired and just chuckled.

"Don't worry boy! You'll get used to it!"

He let me off early and offered me a drink before I left for the Inn. When I entered the Inn, I felt a breeze of cold air hit me, which relaxed my body. Ann gave me dinner and for some reason, the whole time we were talking, I couldn't stop looking at her to even eat my food. I just kept staring at her. It was like someone had cast a spell on me.

"Jack? Hello…Jack? JACK?" Ann yelled, capturing my attention and breaking my stare.

"Huh? What?"

"You just kept staring at me. Did you even hear anything I said?" she asked, having a soft blush on her cheeks. I started to blush too and started to get nervous.

"Oh, s-sorry, Ann. I-I was d-daydreaming," I stuttered. Ugh. I always stutter when I get really nervous and I haven't been this nervous since my freshman year of high school. What is up with me tonight?

"Y-you know, I t-think I'll go to b-bed early tonight," I said and immediately ran upstairs to my room.

**Ann's POV**

"Goodnight, Jack," I said under my breath as he ran upstairs.

I can't believe he was staring at me like that! To be honest, I thought it was kind of cute. I giggled and saw my dad, who was peaking from the backroom.

"DAD! Were you spying on me and Jack?"

He just laughed. "Sorry, Ann. I think that boy has a crush on you!"

I started to blush and look away from my father to hide my face.

"Dad, can you please stop trying to hook me up with every guy that happens to be around my age!"

"I just think you need to settle down with a nice guy, that's all!" he said seriously.

"I don't need your help! I can take care of myself! I'm not a little girl anymore!" I argued. It annoys me whenever my dad tries to push me into getting married. He did the exact same thing whenever Cliff first arrived into town last year.

"But you are still my daughter and I will always take care of you!" he yelled.

I gave up. I screamed and ran into the back room and ran inside my bedroom and locked the door. I hated fighting with my dad like this, but I knew we would eventually make up since this has already happened numerous times before.

I collapsed onto my bed and stared at the ceiling. I couldn't help but think of Jack then. He was a nice guy and was pretty darn cute too. My face started to heat up just thinking about him. Wait, what am I doing? Ah crap! If dad finds out about this, he will bounce off the walls!

**Jack's POV**

I woke up the next morning sweating. I sat up and noticed I was breathing heavy and was trembling. I wiped off the beads of sweat from my forehead and heard someone knocking on my door.

"Hey! Are you all right! Can I come in?" the voice behind the door yelled.

"Yeah, come in!" I yelled back.

The door opened and revealed a tan guy with a purple bandana on his head. His face looked very alarmed and his eyebrows were furrowed. He looked around my room then looked at me in confusion.

"Dude! Are you okay? We heard you yelling!"

"I was yelling?" I asked with my jaw dropped.

"Yeah, man! You were yelling all sorts of stuff!"

"W-What was I saying?" I asked with my uncontrollable stuttering. I think I already know what he was going say. The tan guy walked over and sat on the end of the bed.

"Well we couldn't understand most of it but we heard you yelling things like 'hide', 'stop it', 'monster', 'don't leave me'. And then we heard you scream 'mom' like a million times and then you went silent! I swear, it sounded like someone was getting murdered in here or something!"

"Oh, s-sorry… I guess I just had a n-nightmare," I said as I continued to tremble.

"Some nightmare!" he said, shaking his head.

We both heard loud knocking on my door and then it flew open. It was Ann with a bat in her hands and she looked ready to beat someone up. She looked at the tan guy and started running towards him and accidentally dropped the bat. The tan guy's eyes got wide and shot his hands up defenselessly. She tackled him to the ground and started swinging her fists at him.

"WHAT WERE YOU DOING TO JACK?" she yelled, still punching the guy.

"ANN, IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!" he yelled back in defense, trying to fight her off.

I jumped up and pried Ann off the tan guy. I was pulling her back and she was still swinging her fists like crazy! She ignored the fact that I was the one pulling her back and saw the bat behind me. She escaped my grip and ran towards the bat. Luckily, I beat her to it and grabbed the bat before she did. Meanwhile, the tan guy retreated to the other side of the room in fear. She kept jumping up, trying to take the bat from my hand.

"Ann, you have it all wrong! I was having a nightmare!" I yelled to her.

She immediately stopped trying to take the bat from me and just looked at me, then to the tan guy, then back to me.

"Wait, what?"

"I was having a nightmare and he came in to see if I was okay," I explained.

"Oh," she said as her face got red. She turned around, looked at the tan guy, who looked like he was about to pee his pants, and started to laugh nervously. "Sorry, Kai! I hope I didn't hurt you too bad!"

Kai started walking towards us cautiously while rubbing his gut.

"Sheesh, Ann! For a twig, you sure can pack a punch!"

Ann grinned and I laughed. Ann then turned to me.

"So, what was your nightmare about, anyways? It must've been horrible!"

Kai looked interested in Ann's question and waited for my answer. I stopped laughing, started to get nervous, and started to feel a cloud of sadness hover over me and it started to lightly sprinkle hesitation over me.

"I can't even remember what it was about anymore," I lied.

"Wow, really? Well, that's good! I mean, now it won't be stuck in your brain!" Ann said.

"Yeah, what she said!" Kai said.

"Yeah, thanks guys," I said.

They both smiled and then Ann yawned.

"Well, I'm going back to bed now. I'll see you two in the morning," Ann said.

"Goodnight," Kai and I said in unison. Ann yawned again and then left the room.

"I guess I'm going back to my room too. My roommates are probably waiting for me to tell them that they're safe."

"Yeah, sorry for waking you guys."

"It's not your fault man! It was the nightmare's fault!"

He opened the door in front of him and stopped.

"Oh, and if you didn't know yet, I'm Kai. I'm guessing you're Jack?"

"Yeah, it's nice meeting you."

"You too. Well, goodnight, dude," he said as he walked out the door.

"Goodnight."

After he left, I started to think about my nightmare. I've had the same nightmare since I was eight years old. It wasn't just a nightmare. It was a memory. It was my mother's murder.

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**** And there you go! Yep, we are starting to dig deeper into Jack's past! I'd just like to thank you for reading and giving a review! **

**I would've had this chapter up WAY sooner, but everything's been crazy because it was the first week of school and I had after school practice and since I'm in advanced classes, they're already giving me homework. :`( ****


	4. Happy Birthday!

**** ****Phew, the first few weeks of school have made me so busy! But that's okay because I'm a nerd and love school. :D I hope you like this chapter and don't forget to REVIEW! I'd love feedback and suggestions! :) ****

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Chapter 4**  
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I woke up fairly early the next morning, so I took my time as I got ready for the day. There wasn't much I had to do to get ready in the morning. I like to just wake up and take only ten to twenty minutes to get ready. I don't worry too much about what I look like. As long as I didn't look like a hobo then I considered myself decent. I work at a farm anyway, so why bother with looking good?

As I finished getting dressed, I thought about what happened last night. I can't believe I had that same dream again. I thought I was done with this. It's as if every time I make an improvement in my life, the past seems to just creep up and ruin everything. I can't let this happen again. I can't be depressed and fearful for the rest of my life... I don't want to remember anything of my horrible memories. I closed my eyes and pushed everything about my past out of my mind and continued with getting ready.

After slowly getting ready, I checked the clock and found that I still had two more hours to blow until I had to go to Roy's farm. I decided to ask Doug if Ann liked dogs and if he was all right with me giving her one as a birthday present. I had to admit, I was excited and eager about the idea. I went downstairs and saw Doug behind the bar and Ann was out of sight. This was too perfect.

"Hey Doug," I greeted as I took a seat at the bar.

"Hey Jack. How was your first day of work?" Doug asked.

"It was great. I heard that Ann's birthday is coming up and I wanted to get her a gift."

Doug looked very pleased with what I said. He looked around to make sure Ann wasn't in the room before he replied. "Really? That's nice of you! What do you plan to get her?"

"You see, I feel like I need your permission to give her what I've thought of so far since she lives here in the Inn with you."

"All right then, what did you have in mind?" He asked cautiously.

"I was thinking about giving her a puppy."

Doug raised his eyebrows. He pondered about the idea for a few moments before answering. "I say, as long as it stays in her room or upstairs then I'm perfectly fine with it. It just can't be in here where people eat and in the kitchen where we cook." Doug said with a smile.

"Really? Oh, thank you!"

"No, thank you Jack! I'm sure she'll love it. So, where did you get a puppy?"

"Barley's dog had her puppies and Barley said he'd save me one."

"Well, that was nice of him. He's always so nice to everybody."

"Yeah, no doubt about that. So, uh, where is Ann?" I asked. I really wanted to talk to her for some reason.

Doug just looked even happier when I asked. "She's upstairs."

"Okay, well if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go talk to her."

"Be my guest," Doug said, still smiling.

I started walking upstairs and started to hear somebody singing. I went into my room and there was nobody. I tried the other room and found Ann sweeping the floors while singing. I snuck up behind her and tapped her on her shoulder. I scared her so much she almost hit me with a broom.

"Ann! It's just me!" I laughed.

"Hey, don't sneak up on me like that!" Ann yelled with a scary face. That face shut up my laughter.

"Sorry, Jack. I'm not mad at you. You just scared half to death!" she sighed.

"Sorry about that, Ann. So, what are you doing?"

"I'm cleaning," she said with a smile. "Dad doesn't like to clean, so I do all of it around here. I really don't mind because I think it's kind of fun."

"Wow, I've never met anyone that has said that they like to clean," I said, surprised.

"Is that a bad thing?" she asked.

"No, it's not bad thing. I guess it's more of a rarity."

She smiled. "Well, you can't work here and be lazy, that's for sure!"

"Is it just you and your Dad that work here?"

"Yep, just us! It's a busy and tiring job, but I love it so much! I love looking at everyone's smiling faces when they come here."

She looked so happy talking about her job. Then, I thought about when she said it was busy and tiring. Working in a place this size with only one other person must've been exhausting! Thinking about it made me worry that she was working more then she should.

"Just make sure you don't work too hard, Ann..." I said quiet but seriously.

She just looked at me with the corners of her mouth slightly curling upwards. We stared into each other's eyes for a few moments. During those moments, I noticed just how blue and beautiful her eyes were.

"You know, you're a nice guy, Jack. The girl that you end up marrying will be lucky to have you," she said, shaking her head with her eyes closed. I felt my face to heat up.

Three days went by quickly. I met two of the other guys that live in the Inn: Gray and Cliff. They are both Kai's roommates and seemed to be very different from him as well. Gray is a reserved guy, who is working as a blacksmith at his grandfather's shop by Roy's farm. Cliff is a shy guy that stutters and goes to church a lot. I imagine his stuttering comes from nervousness like mine. During the brief moment we talked, he told me that he worked at the winery next door to the Inn and told me about how he was struggling with money when he first arrived in town last year. It made me think about how I was before I found my job here. When he told his story to me, I felt a connection between us and I knew then that we would become good friends.

While working at Roy's farm, I got to talk to Claire more while we worked and learned a few things about her. It turns out that Claire has a crush on Cliff, even though she has never actually talked to him before. She seemed very reluctant to admit it and I guessed that maybe she was too shy to say "hello" to Cliff, which I thought was a bit weird because she wasn't much of a shy person. Yesterday, I promised her that whenever she is ready, I'd go with her to the Inn and have lunch or something with Cliff. The promise made her happy and I was just happy that I could help her out. I just love the sensational feeling of putting a smile on another's face.

Speaking of smiles, I'm pretty excited about giving Ann her present today. I'm hoping she'll love it! I've already finished my work today early. I'm very proud to say that I'm enjoying my work at Roy's farm. Roy said Claire and I could get off work early since we've already finished all of our work. I told Claire I was going to go stop by Yodel farm and she asked if she could walk with me. I said "Yes" and we started walking down the path towards Yodel farm.

"So, why are you going to Yodel, anyways?" she asked as we continued to walk.

"If I tell you, you cannot tell anyone. It's supposed to be a surprise. You have to promise not to tell anyone."

"Okay," she simply said.

"No, I mean it! I don't this to be ruined..." I said seriously.

"All right, sheesh! I promise, okay? Just tell me already!" she said, showing me her impatient side.

"I'm going to Yodel to pick up Ann's birthday gift."

She playfully punched my arm. "Oooh! Does someone have a crush on Ann?" she snickered.

I returned the punch and laughed. "Believe it or not Claire, but it's possible for a guy to give a girl a birthday present without having a crush on them," I reasoned.

She smirked on her face. "I don't know about your case, Jack. You act like you really want this gift to be perfect. I'd say you want to impress her or something."

I couldn't fully deny that. "This is just me wanting to give her a great birthday gift. Can I at least do that without you interrogating me?"

"Awww, come on! I told you about how I feel about Cliff! You can definitely tell me how you feel about Ann!" she persisted.

"There is nothing to tell," I said stubbornly.

Claire pouted and gave up. "Fine!" I sighed in relief that she dropped the subject. "Anyways, I wanted to walk with you because I wanted to tell you that I'm ready to talk to Cliff."

"Really? That's great! When do you want us to have lunch or whatever?"

"I was thinking dinner tomorrow at about six."

"That sounds good with me. I'll ask him if he would be interested."

Her face lit up and gave me a hug. "Thank you, Jack! You're the best!"

I smirked. "I know," I said conceitedly. She punched my arm and we both laughed until we arrive at Yodel farm.

She was pretty excited about the arrangement with Cliff. We walked in very quickly to pick up the puppy. Barley knew the puppy was a present, so he tied a yellow ribbon on its collar. As Claire and I walked to the Inn, I let Claire hold the puppy and I watched her talk to it in a baby voice.

Once we walked in the Inn, we went upstairs and I told Claire to wait outside my room door in the hallway, so that I could keep the puppy in my room until it was time to give it to Ann. I went back in the hallway and found Claire sitting down.

"You know, he's probably in his room right now. Why don't you just talk to him?" I said, referring to Cliff.

She looked down and stared at her shoes. "What should I say?" she asked, still looking down.

"I don't know. Start with a 'Hello' and go from there."

"But what if I run out of things to say? I just have a feeling I'm going to embarrass myself!"

"Claire, you shouldn't worry too much about it. Just let everything come out naturally and if you find yourself out of words, then change the subject and ask him a random question to keep things going. I do that sometimes and it usually helps me, so I don't see why it won't help you."

She started nodding her head then looked at me with a confident smile. She then walked into Cliff, Kai and Gray's room. I heard her voice from the other side say "Hi, Cliff".

I decided to not eavesdrop on her so I went downstairs to the first floor.

Downstairs, I found Ann and Doug at the bar opening the present Doug ordered. "A radio! Thanks, Dad!" she said happily as she hugged her father.

Doug noticed me and shot a look that said, "Time to give her your present". Ann threw the wrapping paper away and started to head towards her room with her new radio, but Doug stopped her. "Hold on, Ann. You still have one more present," Doug told her.

"Another? From who?" she asked, looking confused.

"From me," I said.

"You got me a present, Jack? Well, what is it? Where is it?" she asked eagerly, looking in every direction to find a box wrapped with pretty paper and a bow.

"It's upstairs," I said.

"Well, can I have it now?" she asked looking excited.

"Nope. I think I'll just give it to you later," I teased.

"Awww! No fair, Jack!" Ann complained. Doug and I laughed.

"I'll be right back," I said, rushing upstairs to get the puppy.

He was so cute that there would be no way that Ann wouldn't love it. I slowly walked down the stairs with the puppy in my arms.

I saw Ann's eyes getting larger and larger as I walked closer to her with the puppy in arms. She was speechless. I handed her the puppy. She held it like she was holding a baby. She finally spoke. "You…you got me a puppy?" she asked in a whisper.

"Do you like it?" I asked, asking the stupidest question in the world.

She gently handed the puppy to her dad then rushed over to me, gave me a big hug, answering my question. After a very long and warm hug, she released me with a big smile on her face and retrieved the puppy back from her dad.

"Thank you," she said.

I nodded. "So what will you name it?"

"Is it a boy or girl?"

She raised the puppy up for me to check.

"It's a boy," I confirmed.

"Then, I shall name him Otis!" she proclaimed.

"That's a wonderful name, Ann," Doug said.

"Thanks, Dad."

She gave me another big smile before directing her attention back to Otis and stroked his soft, brown fur.

* * *

**** Next chapter: we get to find out what Jack's dream was about! Thank you for reading and reviewing! :) ****


	5. The Past

**** Hello, and thank you for reading. I've noticed that quite a few people have been reading this story! Even if I don't get very many reviews, it's still nice to know people are reading. :) This chapter is a look into Jack's past. Enjoy! ****

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Chapter 5

_"Jack! Come back inside or you'll catch a cold!" my mother yelled from the front door._

_She didn't like it when I played outside in the rain. She is so protective of me. She would never allow anything to hurt me or let myself to get sick. I don't mind it very much. I usually just snicker at her protectiveness and obey her. I asked Dad why she was like that once. He said it was because she loved me so much that she wouldn't be able to live with herself if something happened to me. I then asked Dad why he doesn't do what Mom does. He said he didn't want me to grow up to be a "sissy". I obeyed her command and walked into our warm house. Dad threw me a towel, which was his way of telling me it was time to take a bath._

_"But I don't want to!" I complained. "Isn't the rain enough?"_

_"Oh, sweetie, it's muddy outside! You'll just keep getting dirty!" Mom laughed._

_"But-"_

_"You heard your mother," my father said with a slight grin on his face._

_I slowly walked into the bathroom with Mom following me. She helped me turn the knobs on the bathtub and she sat in the bathroom to make sure I actually washed myself. She had just recently started doing this after she found out that I wasn't actually washing myself in the tub, but more of just sitting in the water until it started to get cold. I don't like baths or soap. I liked to play outside and get dirty, so Mom tries her best to make sure I'm clean. She mostly just sits in the bathroom with me and makes sure I'm not just sitting in the tub._

_"Mom, how did you and Dad meet?" I asked randomly while trying to find the soap bar at the bottom of the tub. _

_Mom looked at me, surprised that I had asked and put on a soft smile._ _"Why do you ask, sweetie?"_

_"I dunno. I just want to know," I shrugged as I rubbed my skin with the soap bar I successfully found._

_"Well, sweetie, me and your father meet in high school at a school dance. My date to the dance didn't show up and I was sad the entire time. I sat down in the empty chairs against the walls while everyone else danced."_

_"What happened next?" I asked. Mom looked at me, happy that I wanted to hear her story._

_"Well, your father saw me sitting down, walked over to me, sat down next to me and asked why I wasn't dancing. I told him why and he cheered me up by telling me that he came to the dance without a date. He eventually convinced me to dance with him and we didn't leave each other's side for the rest of the dance. We had so much fun together that night and we went out to eat once the dance was over and he drove me home..." Mom said dreamily._

_I didn't understand some of the stuff she was saying, but what I did understand was that she was sad and Dad made her happy again._

_Mom continued with her story. "After that night, we became close and after a while, we started dating. I had never been so happy in my entire life. I still remember our first kiss..."_

_"Eeewww!" I whined in disgust. _

_Mom laughed._ _"Jack, I hope one day you'll find a girl who will make you as happy as your father made me," she said as her eyes started to water._

_"But girls are gross and weird! How can they make me happy?" I asked in disbelief._

_"Trust me Jack. You'll understand when you're older."_

_She took a fresh towel from the cabinet and handed it to me and helped me out of the tub._

_"Jack, I'm going to go and make dinner now. I want you to dry off and get dressed by yourself now," she said._

_"But where are my clothes?" I asked looking around helplessly. I had never done this before. Usually she would pick out my clothes and put them on the counter._

_"They're in your dresser in your room. You're a big boy now! You can get dressed by yourself now."_

_"Okay..." I grumbled._

_Mom then smiled at me and left me alone in the bathroom. I put my towel around me and ran to my room. I looked around for my dresser and noticed it was a lot taller than I thought it was. I stood on my tippy-toes and pulled one of the tallest drawers out and reached my hand in it and felt nothing inside. I tried the bottom drawer and found a mass collection of socks and underwear. I grabbed a pair of socks and underwear, then reached into the next two drawers above and found a shirt and a pair of shorts. I tried as hard as I could to put on the shirt, but every time I tried, I would find it backwards or find that my arm was in the hole where my head was supposed to be. After several frustrating tries, I finally got it right and then put on the underwear and shorts on with ease. I put the socks on and noticed a pair of slippers on the ground and put them on as well. I walked in front of a mirror and gave a bright smile filled with accomplishment towards the reflection. I stopped when I smelt something good in the air and followed the smell. I found myself in the kitchen with Mom in front of the stove._

_"It's ready," she said._

_I took a cue and walked to the counter and she handed me a plate of food. I walked to the table and she followed, but then realized something was missing._

_"Mom? Where is Dad?" I asked._

_"He went to the store to get more, er, root beer," she said, forming a rare frown on her face._

_"Why does he drink so much root beer?"_

_"Sometimes adults, like Dad, cannot stop drinking...root beer. I personally don't like it."_

_"So, you don't drink root beer?"_

_"No, and I don't ever want you to drink it either," she said with a serious tone._

_"Why not?" I asked curiously._

_"It's not good for you. It makes you do bad things."_

_The door suddenly opened and my Dad walked through it with a bag of dark glass bottles that made noise with each slow step he made. He looked over in our direction and put the bag down on the counter and pulled out of the dark bottles._

_"Whaass for dinneerr Liiz?" he said, slurring his words._

_Mom stood up quickly, looking mad._ _Mom looked at me and put a sweet face back on her face. "Jack, Dad and I are going to go to the other room and talk while you finish your dinner, okay?"_

_"Okay..." I said in a soft voice. Dad rolled his eyes and followed Mom down the hall. I heard a door slam shut._

_I continued to eat in silence while hearing unclear yells that I tried to ignore. This continued for ten minutes until I heard glass break. The sound scared me and there I was in a room alone. I walked down the hall into the living room and saw a man with a beard and black clothes climb inside the window. I froze my body out of fear and heard a door behind me open slowly._

_"Jack? What are you doing over there?" I heard Mom ask worriedly._

_I turned around to find her and Dad behind me. Dad had a bat in his hand and Mom had a small vase in her hand. They were both looking at the same man I saw with the beard. I looked back at the man and he was pointing a gun in our direction._

_"Put your hands in the air and give me your weapons," the man said sternly._

_We put our hands in the air then Mom and Dad obediently walked slowly towards him. They were halfway between the man and me before the man raised his hand up, telling them to stop. The man looked nervous and had beads of sweat on his forehead._

_"One at a time," he commanded._

_Dad went first and slowly started to put his bat to the ground in front of the man, then quickly dashed and started to swing his fist at the man. He missed and the man swung his fist at Dad's head and Dad then fell to the ground._

_"No! Stop it you bully!" I screamed as I started to run towards the man to attack._

_"Jack, stop!" Mom cried out. The man noticed me and prepared to hit me when Mom tackled him and they started rolling around on the floor with their weapons still in their hands. "Jack, ran away, now!" Mom cried, but I just stood there frozen, watching. Mom was hitting the man hard with the vase until..._

_BANG!_

_The sound hurt my ears, so I closed my eyes and rubbed my ears. I opened my eyes to see Mom on the floor, barely moving and her stomach covered in red. I looked over at the man to see that he was staring at Mom and shaking with wide eyes. I looked into his eyes and I saw fear and regret being covered up with darkness. He turned around and climbed out of the window he entered from._

_"Jack..." I heard a soft voice. I saw Mom turn her head towards me slowly. I ran to her side and noticed I was crying uncontrollable and felt a bad feeling inside my chest. "Jack...get the phone now..." Mom struggled to say._ _I nodded and ran for my mom's cell phone and returned to her when I found it._ _"Now call 911 and tell them Dad and I are hurt," she said._

_I did what she said and dialed 911._

_"911, what is the address of your emergency?" a lady said on the other line._

_I told the lady what happened and they kept asking where I was, even after I continuously told her I was at my house. She stayed on the other side while we waited for the coppers to get here and kept asking me questions like "What is your name?" or "How old are you?". I looked down at Mom's face and she looked like she was about to fall asleep._

_"Is somebody...coming?" she asked softly._

_"The lady said the coppers are coming," I whispered._

_She gave me her usual gentle, soft smile and two tears leaked from her eyes before she finally went to sleep. I felt alone, even with the lady on the phone, so I shook Mom to try wake her._

_"Mom, wake up!" I begged. I kept shaking her and shaking her but she wouldn't wake up. I started to cry again and started to shout to try wake her up this time, but it didn't work. I just sat there and watched Mom sleep until I saw Dad get off the ground. He sat up and looked at Mom and threw up. _

_Once he was done he looked at me with cold eyes._ _"WHAT HAPPENED?"_

_I couldn't answer him because I was crying so much, which made him even angrier. He brushed me aside and sat beside Mom and did something I had never seen him do. He held Mom's hand with his left, caressed her cheek with his right, and cried._

_"Liz..." he cried softly._

_I just sat there and watched._


	6. Coffee and Dinner Plans

**** Hello, again! It's been about a month and I'm sorry. Hopefully, I will start to get into the habit of posting chapters regularly now that I won't have after school practice anymore! I'd also like to take the time to thank everyone that has reviewed my story. I like reading helpful advice or just your thoughts. They make me smile and help motivate me :) ****

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Chapter 6

"I can't believe you drink that stuff," I said in disgust.

I had never liked coffee. The fowl smell and taste was enough for me to despise the bitter liquid. Ann always drinks a cup of it every morning while talking to me. Usually, I create a barrier around my nose with my palm so that the strong smell wouldn't trespass and once Ann notices, she pulls it away saying "You'll have to get used to it sometime!". It wasn't just the smell and taste that bothered me; it was also the unhealthy facts about coffee that disturbed me. It wasn't a shock to me that it didn't disturb Ann at all since she wasn't one to worry about her own health.

"What? Coffee is amazing! It gives you energy for the day ahead of you!" Ann said before she started to chug down her coffee. The sight of her drinking it made me flinch.

"That's because its loaded with caffeine. Plus, I can't stand the smell of it, let alone the taste," I explained while rubbing my eyes.

"Eh, you get used to it," she shrugged. "Are you okay? You look awful."

"Oh, I didn't sleep well last night. I had another nightmare," I admitted.

"Maybe some-"

"I don't want coffee!" I stubbornly said.

"Fine!" she pouted. "Well, was it the same one from the other night?" she asked with interest.

"Yeah, but I'm fine. I'm sure I'll feel better once I get some breakfast."

"All right, if you say so..." Ann said, as if she was holding back what she was originally going to say.

"So, what do you plan on doing today besides drinking that poison?"

She laughed. "Just the usual day of work and drinking lots of coffee. What do you plan to do today?"

"Work at the farm, like every day, and later I'm going to have dinner with Claire and Cliff," I said.

"Awesome! Will I be expecting you here later for this dinner?"

"Most likely," I smiled until realizing that I haven't even asked Cliff if he'd come to dinner. "Shoot," I said to myself.

"What's wrong?" Ann asked with her eyebrows furrowed.

"I forgot to ask Cliff to dinner."

Ann raised her eyebrows and put an amused smile on her face. "Well that's not good," said Ann, obviously finding humor in my forgetfulness.

"Do you think he's awake?"

"He probably is by now," she answered. "Should I make your breakfast while you go talk to him?"

"Sure, but I swear if you try to sneak coffee in my chocolate milk again..."

Ann snickered. "I promise I won't try anything this time!"

I smiled and then went my way upstairs and knocked on Cliff's and his roommates' door.

"Come in," a voice from the other side called out. I obeyed the voice and found Kai and Cliff inside the room.

"Hey, Jack," Cliff greeted.

"Hey, man! What's up?" Kai greeted with a high-five.

"I'm actually here to ask Cliff something," I said, turning towards Cliff.

"Me?"

"Yeah, I was wondering if you'd have dinner with my friend and I tonight at six o'clock."

"Sure. Who is your friend?" Cliff asked.

"Oh, you know Claire, right?"

"C-Claire?" Cliff stuttered. Cliff's face turned pink which made Kai snicker.

"Yeah, she's looking forward to having dinner with you, but don't her I told you."

His face grew from pink to blood red within seconds, which made Kai burst into laughter.

"Dude! You never told me!" Kai laughed.

Cliff bowed his scarlet face in embarrassment as Kai laughed. With Kai laughing hysterically, I couldn't help but chuckle. I walked over to Cliff and patted his back.

"Cliff, if you liked Claire, why didn't you just talk to her?"

"I was too scared..." he said quietly with shame.

"Cliff, don't tell Claire what I'm about to tell you okay?"

"Umm okay," Cliff said, reluctant to hear what it is Claire doesn't want him to know.

"Claire actually asked me to arrange for all three of us to go to dinner together so that she could hang out with you. "

"She…she did? W-Why would she do that?"

"Because she likes you, you idiot!" Kai answered, rolling his eyes. The room grew silent as Cliff absorbed his newfound information.

"Well I'd better go and eat breakfast now. I don't want to be late to work. I'll see you tonight," I finally said, breaking the silence.

"Thank you, Jack," he said quietly with a grateful smile.

"No problem, Cliff." I nodded and looked over at Kai to find that he wasn't smiling with glee for his friend, but, instead, looked at Cliff in envy. I could see the fire in his eyes.

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**** So, this chapter is shorter than the others since I wanted to hurry up and post something. This isn't my favorite chapter either. :/ Feel free to share any ideas for the story seeing that I'm also starting to develop writers block! There are no bad ideas from my point of view, so don't hesitate to suggest whatever you have in mind! :D ****


	7. Oh, Karen

**** Hello, everybody! I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving holiday and have started on their Christmas shopping! Now, on with the story! :) ****

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Chapter 7**  
**

"Okay, how do I look?"

"Great! You don't even look nervous," I observed.

"Yeah, I'm actually not nervous anymore!" Claire said with excitement.

I smiled and opened the Inn door, like a gentleman, for her. We looked around and saw Saibara sitting alone, Basil, Duke and Thomas having a seemingly interesting conversation at a table near the entrance, and Karen at the bar, talking to Ann as she was on the other side. Ann's face looked tired and irritated, something I have never seen. Claire and I didn't see Cliff in the room so we assumed he was upstairs in his room. Claire confidently volunteered to inform him we were here. She smiled, took a deep breath, and ran upstairs.

I walked over toward Karen and Ann and sat down next to Karen. Ann greeted me without a word, but instead with an exhausted smile. Karen turned to me and hugged me tightly without warning. Her hug had an iron grip hold on me that was impossible to escape.

"Jaaack! Where haaave yoou been?" Karen said, slurring her words profusely. Ann just face-palmed and shook her head.

"She's drunk...again," Ann explained.

"I'm not surprised," I chuckled.

"HEY! I'm not druuunnk, okay? You're just jealous of my mad daaannce skills!"

"Karen, I have no idea what you're talking about," Ann sighed.

"Whaaat, are yooou stupid or soomethiiing? I'm daaancing right now!" Karen argued, throwing her hands in the air, almost slapping me in the face.

"Karen, you're sitting down..." I said.

"Whooaa! How did yoou dooo thaaat?" Karen's eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped.

Ann and I rolled our eyes and watched as Karen distracted herself by tapping her glass, giggling at the sound it made.

"Jaaack? You want some beeeer?" Karen asked loudly, waving her glass in my face. I flinched hearing the word "beer" and saw Ann notice.

"Karen, how about I make you some coffee?" Ann asked quickly.

"Coffee is for LOSERS!"

"I guess she's not so bad when she's smashed," I snickered. Ann punched me from across the bar and made Karen laugh obnoxiously.

"So, where is Claire and Cliff," Ann asked, trying her best to ignore Karen.

"Claire went upstairs to get Cliff. They should be down any second now."

Ann groaned. "Karen is going to drive me crazy tonight!"

"Maybe you should just send her home already."

"I can't. Her parents are having their anniversary and asked for her to spend the night here."

"Hey, we're here!" I heard as Claire and Cliff came downstairs, holding hands. They walked over and shared a look once they glanced at Karen. She was looking at her hand as if she had never seen it before. She seemed quite fascinated in her ability to move her fingers.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Jack," Cliff apologized. "Do you want to sit down now?"

"You guys choose where to sit. I'll be there in a second," I said. They both nodded and went on their way. I was trying to give Claire more time alone with Cliff. I was hoping it would bring them closer together. I turned back to Ann and saw her staring at Karen in confusion. "I guess I have to leave you now with Karen."

"Great," she said sarcastically.

I chuckled lightly and made my way to the table Claire and Cliff chose and sat across from them. They seemed to have been getting along very well. They weren't nervous wrecks at all anymore. Even Cliff didn't look nervous. He was talking above a whisper and was laughing and telling jokes. I guess I was finally witnessing what Cliff was like outside of his shell. I doubt they even need me anymore. While eating my spaghetti, my fork slipped out of my fingers and landed onto the ground. I rolled my eyes and looked under the table to retrieve it when I saw Claire and Cliff playing footsy.

"Awww! That's sooo sweeeet!" I heard from under the table. I got up and saw Karen stumbling over to our table with her glass of beer in hand. Ann followed her and tried to drag her back to the bar but Karen kept wiggling to get free.

"Karen, stop it! You're bothering the customers!"

"Get off of me, you hoe!" Karen screamed as she broke free for Ann's hold, dropping her glass, causing it to brake into large shards. Karen looked at the mess and started to laugh. Cliff and Claire observed the scene in horror. Karen stumbled over to stand between Claire and Cliff and started playing with their hair. "They grow up sooo faaaast!"

I reacted by rushing over and managed to pull her away from the couple by a few feet. I never knew Karen could be so strong. She jumped up and down trying to break free and screamed so many curse words that she made even Duke sound like a saint. And then she stopped everything and just stared at the ground. I loosened my hold on her and slowly stopped dragging her, wondering if something was wrong or if she was just trying to trick me. She held her stomach, vomited and groaned in pain. Ann immediately rushed to her side and gently whispered to her as she helped her walk to the backroom. Claire and Cliff just sat there silently trying to figure out what just happened. The silence was uncomfortable.

"Well, that was a nice dinner..."

* * *

I slowly opened the backdoor and peeked my head in to see if anyone was there and saw Doug, rushing to get the broom and dustpan from a nearby corner.

"You'll need a mop too," I piped up.

Doug jumped and turned around quickly. He looked at me and let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Oh, Jack, you scared me! Sorry about all of this. Ann has been kind of stressed out lately and I think she passed it on to me like a cold."

"Speaking of Ann, do you mind if I check on her and Karen?"

"Go ahead, kid. First door on the left," he said, squeezing past me with his broom, dustpan and mop.

I walked into the backroom and walked down the short hall to Ann's room. I lightly knocked on the door. The door opened and I saw Ann's face. It looked like she had been crying. Her eyes and cheeks were red and you could still see a trail of where her tears traveled on her face.

"Are you all right?" I asked quietly. She responded by falling into my arms and burying her face into my chest. I didn't know what exactly to do. It was natural for a guy to not know what to do when a girl cries, right? I just stayed quiet as she cried on me and held her. After a few moments, she lifted her head off my body, wiped her eyes, and grabbed my hand to lead me into her room.

I looked around her room and saw Karen asleep on her bed. She was drooling and already had a bed-head. Ann led me to Otis' doggy bed and sat down next to it. I sat there with her as she began to stare at the sleeping puppy. She looked a lot more relaxed when she did and it made me worry just a little less. She just sat there quietly. It made me afraid to break the silence between us.

"So, what happened to Claire and Cliff?" she whispered, still watching Otis.

"They called it a night and Cliff walked her home."

Sadness appeared without tears in her eyes. "This is my fault. I should've stopped giving her more drinks."

"Hey, don't blame yourself for what happened. Knowing Karen, she would've jumped behind the counter to get the drinks herself."

She smiled softly. "That's true." Ann took a quick glance over at Karen and looked back at Otis. "I guess she's sleeping there tonight..."

"You look exhausted."

"I am."

"I thought I told you not to work so hard," I sighed.

"Can we not talk about this right now?" she asked, sounding frustrated.

"...Sorry. I just worry about you sometimes. You having to work so much and still put a smile on your face..." I trailed.

"Jack, you worry about me too much. I'm just a little tired," she insisted.

"Are you lying to me?"

She became quiet and didn't answer. That was a yes.

"Maybe it's time for you to get some rest. Those spare beds are still in my room," I said.

"I don't know if my dad would like the idea of me sleeping in the same room as you, Jack."

I laughed a little. "It's not like you're sleeping in the same bed as me. Besides, your dad knows I'm not like that," I reasoned.

She finally looked at me and smiled. "Thanks for being so nice to me."

She slowly reached her hand over and rested it on top of mine. I looked at our hands and felt my heart race. I looked back at her pale face and both of our eyes met and didn't want to say goodbye. We both took a cue from each other and leaned in towards each other and brushed our lips against each other's and created a dance with them. We briefly broke up the dance to breath, looked into each other's eyes, and smiled.

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**** Thank you for reading and don't forget to review! ****


	8. When a Workaholic doesn't Work

**** A long chapter for my absence! I hope you like this chapter! :) ****

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Chapter 8

**Ann's POV**

I woke up to my pillow soaked with drool and a restless feeling I have been greeted with recently. I sat up and rubbed my eyes to try wake myself up, but had no luck.

"_I guess it's time for some coffee,_" I thought to myself.

I looked over to other side of the room and saw Jack still soundly asleep on one of the other separate beds. He looked so serene that I left him the way he was. I dragged myself downstairs and made my way to the backroom kitchen. I pulled several ingredients out of the giant fridge for my breakfast and made a fresh pot of coffee. I went to the other room to eat my breakfast and drink my coffee slowly to appreciate the flavors. Once I finished, I tiptoed through my room, trying not to wake Karen, and grabbed a set of clothes and changed in my bathroom. It was about that time of morning when I started my daily morning walk to the Goddess Spring.

* * *

"You kissed Jack?" Popuri asked in shock.

I always talk to Popuri and tell her everything whenever I see her every morning. She is my best friend and Popuri has always been a hyperactive, bubbly girl, even when we were kids. Just everything about her made you want to smile, whether it was her excitement, optimism, or just her beauty. She has long, beautiful, pink hair that made even me jealous. Usually, I'm not the type to worry about how I look or get jealous, but Popuri was just one of those exceptions. Everyone else thinks that her and her mother's hair color is a bit strange, but I think they have been given a blessing from the Harvest Goddess. Of course, like any human, she has flaws: she tends to throw a tantrum whenever she doesn't get her way, she is a very childish character, and she even participates in the Pumpkin festival!

"Yep," I simply said proudly.

"So, you like him?"

I nodded with a smile and pink face.

"Wow! I have known you my whole life and you've never liked a boy! I was starting to think that you were..."

"I'm not a lesbian, Pop! Just because I'm not boy-crazy, like you, and dress a little different than the other girls doesn't mean I'm not straight," I reassured her, rolling my eyes.

Popuri has always teased me about being a lesbian just because I never had a crush on any of the guys here in Mineral Town. She never did believe me when I've continuously told her I was straight. She would just cross her arms, shake her head, and say, "If you insist on staying in the closet."

She giggled. "So, are both of you going to the Fireworks Festival tomorrow, then?" Popuri asked.

"Oh, I forgot about that!" I gasped.

"Well, you better ask him quick!"

"What? Why do I have to? I'm the girl!"

"Because I doubt Jack even knows about the festival since he just moved here this season," she explained.

"Yeah, I guess you have a point," I admitted. "Who are you going with?"

Popuri sighed deeply and painted a frown on her face. "Kai and I are supposed to be going but I think he's mad at me or something," she said while staring at her feet.

"Why would he be mad at you?"

"I don't know. He was just really distant and quiet when we were talking last night..."

I smiled brightly, hoping it would tempt her. "Aw, cheer up, Poppy! I bet he was just tired!"

She looked at me. Her cheerful smile immediately formed. "Yeah," she began, "you're probably right! Silly me and my ideas! Phew, that almost ruined my day. If he was mad with me, he wouldn't help me with Gray!" she laughed then covered her mouth in horror.

"What do you mean?" I asked in suspicion.

She nervously laughed and scratched the back of her head. "Hehe, I forgot to tell you that I kind of like Gray."

"I thought you said he was a 'grumpy sad-sack that needed a sense of humor' after that time you hid his hammer. Plus, I thought you had a crush on Kai!"

"No, way! Kai and I are never getting back together after the last time he broke my heart!" she said with a disgusted look on her face.

"...Pop, you broke up with him..."

She blushed and became agitated. "T-That's besides the point!"

I sighed. "Whatever you say, Pop."

Once Popuri and I walked back into town, we went our separate ways and headed back to our homes. The walk back to the Inn felt very long and boring. I started to jog to make the journey interesting and the jogging eventually turned into running. I quickly arrived home just when I was just starting to become entertained. I was breathing heavily as I pushed open the front door and saw Dad behind the bar.

"Ann, come over here for a second," he called. I obeyed automatically and waited for him to speak again. "I want you to take a few days off of work," he said, keeping his eyes on a glass mug he was cleaning.

"What? Why?" I shouted, obviously ready to argue.

Dad didn't react any different to my outburst. He kept his attention to the glass he was cleaning. "Jack told me this morning that you've been stressing out, so I want you to take a few days off to rest and have fun."

"That stubborn..." I muttered to myself. "Dad, are you crazy? There's too much work to do around here for only one person!" That was a fact. Even when I'm around to help there is still a lot to do. "Besides, I don't need any extra days off. I'm not even tired or stressed at all!" I lied. I don't like to lie to Dad but he needs my help around here. Although, I will admit to myself that I have been feeling stressed because of work.

He took a quick glance at my face and returned his attention to the spotless glass mug that he was, for some reason, still cleaning. "The bags under your eyes tell a different story."

That made me pause to think of something else to say. "You know, I could just work here while on my day off..."

Dad took his eyes off the glass and looked serious. "Listen, Ann, you're my daughter and you will listen to me!" he snapped. I flinched and then he sighed. "I'm not going to have you work around here, as hard as you do, knowing how exhausted you are."

I was touched by what he said. My eyes were even starting to water. "Okay...but how many days are we talking exactly?"

He smiled with relief. "I'm giving you a minimum of four days."

"Four days!" My jaw dropped. He gave me a look. "Fine..." I grumbled.

"Thank you for not making this too hard on me, Annie."

"Ugh. Did you really have to use that horrible nickname just now?" I said in disgust.

"Would you rather me use your actual first name?"

"Blah." He laughed as I gave him a death glare. "What I'm I supposed to do during the day though?" I asked. "Everybody is working, so I can't bother them..."

Dad shrugged. "Karen is still in the back."

"Oh, yeah! Maybe she's feeling better now!" I said in excitement. I like hanging out with Karen when she is sober, not so much when she is drunk. I guess that could explain why I haven't spent time with her in a while.

I ran to the backroom and into my room. Karen was rubbing her eyes as she sat up on my bed. Happy that she was awake, I pranced over to the bed and sat next to her.

"Good morning!" I sang.

Karen snatched her head and groaned. "Can you not talk so loud?"

I blinked in confusion. "What's wrong, Karen?" I whispered so she wouldn't complain.

"I think the alcohol is kicking in."

"You mean...you're having a hangover?" My voice was full of disappointment.

"I feel like crap," she said burying her face deep in her palms. Suddenly she got up and ran to the bathroom and vomited in the toilet. The sound of it made me want to puke. Once she pulled her face away from the bowl, she sat on the floor and smiled.

"Feel better?" I asked. She nodded slowly. I sighed, grabbed her arm and helped her up on her feet. "Maybe a good breakfast will help. Hopefully, you don't throw that back up," I said as pulled her wrist, leading her into the kitchen. Dad was in front of the oven, cooking what looked like scrambled eggs. "What do you want to eat, Karen?" I asked her.

"Pancakes," she said as she childishly smiled and rubbed her stomach.

I showed Karen to the main room and started pulling ingredients out of the fridge. Dad cleared his throat, but I ignored it and continued until it became a loud habit of him. I looked at him and he had his eyebrows raised and his arms crossed.

"What do you think you're doing, little lady?"

I looked around to check if there was anyone behind me, but there was nobody. "Making breakfast?" I said innocently.

"No, you're making _Karen's_ breakfast. That's considered work."

"Aw, come on!" I complained. He gave me a familiar look and I retreated. "Oh, all right...sheesh! I hope you know that you're cooking Karen some freaking pancakes!"

He chuckled and I stomped into the main room and joined Karen at her table. Karen looked at me funny.

"Where are the pancakes?" She asked quietly, scratching her blonde head.

"Dad won't let me work, so he'll be making your breakfast," I said as I walked over behind the bar and grabbed a small trashcan. Once her food came, I watched Karen carefully for any signs of her throwing up her food. I held the trashcan just in case she was to suddenly get sick.

Luckily, she didn't get sick and kept her food down. I walked her home to the Supermarket since I didn't have anything else to do and didn't want to worry about her getting sick on the way home. When I talked with her parents, I found that Karen's parents weren't very surprised when they heard about Karen's drunken episode. After I left Karen's, I wondered down the street, trying to think of something to do.

Usually, people would be ecstatic about having four days off of work, but I wasn't. I found days off, besides holidays, very boring and slow. There wasn't much to do and not many people who didn't have work to hang out with.

I kept walking, taking my time, when I saw Mary's library. I think the last time I remember talking to her was the last time I delivered her lunch. In fact, I don't remember ever talking to her while not delivering her lunch or ever entering the library without a hot box in my hands.

I peeked inside the library door and saw nobody but Mary at her front desk, writing like a maniac. Her long, black hair was all over her face, but she didn't seem to mind. I shyly let myself in and closed the door behind me. Mary looked up and looked surprised.

"Are you open?" I asked.

"Of course! Are you looking for something in particular?"

"Not really. I just thought I'd visit since I don't come here often."

"You should look for a nice book while you're here! It doesn't cost anything to check one out."

I considered it for a few moments. I wasn't really an enthusiastic reader. Last time I read an entire book was when I was four years old; it was ten pages long. I guess it was time I read a real book and I know how much Mary loves it when people check out books from her library.

I accepted and started to browse for a book that had an interesting title or pretty front cover while Mary went back to her writing. I put all of the books I chose in a stack and skimmed out of all of the books I picked out that looked cool. There was nothing that was cool on the inside as well. I sighed and Mary noticed me. I asked her to help and she was amazed when she found out I didn't know the phrase, "Don't judge a book by its cover". She suggested I read the summary on the back instead of looking for an exciting picture and I eventually found a book with a plot that caught my interest. It was called _Romeo and Juliet_. I have never heard of it before. Mary said it's supposed to be a script of a play or something and that it will be hard to read at first but I accepted the challenge.

Mary was thrilled when I picked it and clapped her hands. "I'm so proud of you, Ann! I promise, you will love it!" she said, jumping up and down. Her silly happiness made me laugh.

I checked out the book and walked back home to my room to read it. Otis wagged his tail when I walked in and sat on my bed with me. He pushed up my blankets, slid underneath them and curled into a warm little ball. I popped open the book to the first page and scanned every word carefully. It was a bit difficult to understand what I was reading, but once I thought about it a little, it became clear.

I was amazed that underneath the confusing use of words and vocabulary, there was an unsuspecting plot that wouldn't let me look away from the pages. The story is about two teenagers that have fallen in love with each other, but can't be together because their families, for some reason, hate each other.

After reading for four hours, I started to get a headache, so I went upstairs to see if Jack had come back from work. I saw him and Kai talking through Jack's open door. I didn't want to interrupt, so I just waited outside and couldn't help but eavesdrop on the conversation.

"It's just not fair! I've wanted to go out with her for so long and she has always rejected me!" Kai yelled and thrashed. Then, he comes along and she actually wants to be with him instead! Is there something wrong with me?"

It looked as though Jack was struggling to find the words he wanted. "No! There is nothing wrong with you! Sometimes this kind of thing happens. Maybe it's a sign that you both aren't meant to be together..."

"Hmph, I doubt it. I bet it's a sign that he is a back-stabber!"

"Kai...I don't know what to say..."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

He stormed out of the room and went downstairs. He didn't even notice me next to the door, or just didn't care. I wonder who he was talking about?

I peeked back into the room and saw Jack sitting on a bed, rubbing his temples. I lightly knocked on the door and walked in. "Is everything all right?" I asked.

He looked up at me and smiled warmly. "I'm fine. Just don't worry about it, 'kay?" He was obviously distraught. I nodded as I sat next him. Once he calmed himself, he cleared his throat. "Can I ask you something real quick?"

"What is it?"

"Do you want to go to watch the fireworks with me tomorrow at the festival?"

"How did you know about the festival?" I asked, surprised.

"Claire told me about it. So, will you go with me?" I started to flush. He chuckled. "It looks like someone is blushing," he teased.

"I am not!" I protested, making me blush even more. "It's just really hot in here!"

"So, you don't like me?" He asked, not convinced with my excuse. I didn't say anything because I couldn't deny that. I just sat there with a hot face until he spoke again. The laughter had escaped his face. He must have took my silence the wrong way. "So, are we going to talk about last night?" he suddenly asked.

I shrugged. "What is there to talk about?"

He gulped. "You don't regret it do you?" he asked, with worry stamped on his forehead. "I mean, we've been friends ever since I arrived and then that happened... I don't want it to be awkward between us."

"Jack, I don't regret anything," I reassured him. "Do you regret it?"

He shook his head. "Not at all. I like you a lot, Ann."

He gently held my face in his hands and looked for approval before pulling me into a kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck and tried as hard as I could to make sure he knew I didn't regret it. I bet this is how Juliet felt when she kissed her Romeo. I'll bet her pulse went out of control and didn't care that life required oxygen.

Jack stopped and backed his face away just enough to see my entire face. "Does this mean you'll watch the fireworks with me?"

I giggled. "Of course, you idiot!" He laughed and then I suddenly remembered something and got annoyed. "Hey, wait! What was up with you telling Dad to give me vacation?" I asked in my angry voice.

Jack flinched and answered calmly. "Well, you wouldn't listen to me."

"True...but do you have any idea how bored I was?"

"You could've visited all of us at Roy's farm."

"I don't want to disturb you guys."

He shook his head. "You won't disturb us." I didn't have anything else to say, so I just sat there. It was quiet for a while until Jack spoke again. "What did you do all day?"

"I walked Karen home, went to the library, and read until I came up here," I said lazily.

Jack looked surprised. "I didn't know you read."

"I don't. I just thought it was time I read a real book and I sort of got into it."

"What book?"

"_Romeo and Juliet_. Have you heard of it?"

He nodded. "Ah, yes, I've heard of it. It's a classic. I had to read it in high school."

"Can you explain something to me? Did I miss something when they first met and started making out? I mean, it just happened so fast!" I straightened myself up and gave Jack my full attention for his answer.

He chuckled lightly. "I know what you mean. My teacher said it showed that they experienced love at first sight."

"Hmm, I wonder what it feels like," I said, resting my hand under my chin.

"Love at first sight?"

"Love in general! True love is described as if it's the best thing that can ever happen. It makes me wonder if I'll ever feel that," I said as I thought of every detail love has ever been labeled with. The given properties still didn't explain to me how it felt. It made me frown with sorrow.

"Life is just unpredictable, Ann. I bet you'll meet somebody and fall in love someday," he said as he wrapped his arm around my back. His prediction lifted my spirits enough for me to smile brightly.

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**** Happy Holidays! :) **

**Thank you for reading and make sure you review! **

**Just click that beautiful button below! ;) ****


	9. Talking about the Past

**** Welcome to chapter nine of this lovely story! I hope you like it! ****

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Chapter 9

**Jack's POV**

"What are we supposed to do until it starts?" I asked Ann while we ate our breakfast together.

"Do you want to go for a walk around Mother's Hill until it starts?"

"Yeah, that sounds like fun! We better pack a lunch too. Knowing you, you'll probably get hungry," I joked.

She gave me a death glare and I laughed.

We packed our lunches and put on our shoes right after breakfast, then set off for Mother's Hill. I had never walked near the mountain, so I was in awe when we finally made it to the top. The view was gorgeous and made you feel like you were the most powerful being. I could even see another town below. While we enjoyed the scenery on top of the mountain, I heard Ann's stomach growl. She felt her stomach with her hand and sighed.

"I told you," I snickered.

She blushed slightly, pulled her lunch out of her bag, and took a bite of her sandwich. "So, I was wondering..."

"Yeah?" I took my lunch out as well.

"What was your mother like?" she asked almost in a whisper.

I paused and felt sorrow and pain just thinking about my mother. Ann must of saw it in my eyes because she looked worriedly at me. I pushed the pain and sorrow away and pulled in the happy and kind memories I had of her.

"Well, she loved to worry about me. She was kind, beautiful, gentle, and very protective. There was hardly ever a time when she would frown," I said as I created a mental picture of her in my mind.

Ann smiled slightly. "She sounds so nice. I hope I can meet her one day."

I frowned. "You can't. She died when I was a kid..."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know..."

"Its all right. What about your mother?" I asked.

Ann looked down at the ground and frowned. "I never knew my mother. I was too little to remember when she died."

"You're lucky..." I muttered.

"How am I lucky?" she asked confused.

I sighed and paused to think to myself. I could trust Ann right? I just didn't want a lot of people to know about what happened. It was painful to talk about anyways. I would have to tell Ann about my past sometime and since we were on the topic...

"If I tell this, will you promise to not tell people? It's very personal..." I began. She still looked confused, not knowing where I was going with this, but she nodded anyways "You remember when I had that bad nightmare?"

She nodded. She was listening carefully to what I was saying. How did I know? Ann stopped eating. She would only stop eating her meals only if she was trying very hard to focus on something. And this time, that something was my story.

"That nightmare was about my mother," I said. "I've had this nightmare reoccur since I was eight years old. When I was seven years old…a burglar broke into our home. My dad was drunk and when he tried to knock him out, he missed and the burglar ended up knocking him out him out instead."

I tried my best to not tremble and stutter as I spoke. Ann was absorbing my story and looked like she wanted to cry.

I continued, "I got angry, so I tried to attack the guy. He was ready to hit me when, suddenly, my mom tackled him and started hitting him with a vase and kept telling me to run away. I thought my mom was going to win the fight, but I forgot...the guy still had his gun. I don't know if he meant to shoot her or if it was an accident, but when he stood up and saw my mom's body, he freaked out and ran away."

"Jack, I'm so sorry," Ann said as she looked down to the ground. "What about your dad? You didn't say much about him."

Frustration slowly built up inside of me as I tried to describe my father.

"Before the robbery, my father wasn't very nurturing like my mother was. He tried to make sure I didn't grow up as a mama's boy, but, from what I remember, he had a sense of humor and never liked to show fear. He was...or, still is, an alcoholic, but he loved my mom to death. When he was around my mom, he was more relaxed and looked so happy… He loved her so much that after her death...he blamed me for it and took his rage out on me. He always told me it was my fault my mother died and after a while I started believing him."

"You mean he hit you?"

I started unbuttoning my shirt and felt a lump in my throat, but I tried to ignore it. I turned around so that Ann could see my back. She gasped and felt my back.

"Most of those scars are from him hitting me with broken beer bottles," I told her.

I turned around so that I could face her again. She was crying silently.

"D-Don't cry Ann," I said. I can't stand it when girls cry. It makes me feel bad as if it was my fault.

She, out of nowhere, hugged me as gently as she could, as if she thought the scars on my back still hurt. "I just can't imagine what you went through," she said as she buried her face in my chest.

I hugged her back, making the frustration from talking about my father go away. It was a long, warm hug and we didn't separate until I pulled away, keeping my hands in her hands.

I smiled. "Lets just not talk about it anymore, okay?"

She smiled slightly and nodded, "Okay."

After talking for a little longer, we walked back to the Inn where we saw Kai, Gray, and Cliff eating at their usual round table. We walked past their table and went to the kitchen. As I walked past their table, I noticed how silent they were. In fact, they looked pretty uncomfortable and tense. It made me think back to my conversation with Kai last night.

"Wow, they sure were quiet. Usually, you can't get those three to shut up when they're together," Ann said as she pulled two sodas out of the fridge.

"You noticed that too, huh? I hope this is only temporary," I said.

The door cracked open and Gray's head peeked in.

"Hey, Ann, can I come in for a second?" he asked.

"Knock yourself out," she said.

He walked in as he rubbed his temples. "Jack, it's not getting easier," he groaned.

Jack sighed. "I can tell. How are they?"

Ann looked back and forth at us while we talked. She was clueless.

"Kai is refusing to talk to Cliff as long as he keeps dating Claire. Cliff wants the fighting to be over with, but won't break up with Claire to stop it. I'm just trying to keep the group together for as long as I can. I'm kind of surprised I haven't yelled at both of them yet," Gray said. He moved on from his temples and started to rub his forehead now.

"Aspirin?" Ann offered.

"Please." He took the medicine from her hand.

"Is Kai going to be at the festival tonight?" I asked. "I doubt Cliff and Claire will miss it."

"He's going with Popuri to try make Claire jealous. I tried to tell him it won't work, but he didn't listen to me."

I rolled my eyes. When was Kai going to figure out that Claire didn't like him?

"That son of a..." Ann cursed to herself.

Gray ignored her and continued. "I'd skip the festival, but I have to help my grandpa with the fireworks."

"Well, I guess we'll see you there then."

He looked at Ann then to me and smirked. "I knew it," he muttered to himself. "See ya there. By the way, we might want to keep an eye on both of them... You know, in case there happens to be a fight."

"I hope that doesn't happen..."

"See ya," he waved goodbye.

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**** Sooo, I haven't feeling very motivated lately with this story. :/**

**I already have most of the next chapter done, so that won't be too long to finish, but it might be a while until the chapter after that will be posted. **

**So, please review because I really would like to finish this instead of just leaving it. Reviews really do help motivate me :)**

**Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter and thank you for reading! ****


	10. Summer Festival

**** So, this didn't get finished as soon as I thought it would, but, like I said, I haven't been very motivated to writing this story...  
Also, I would like to announce that I have started a new story! Yay! :D It is based off of **_**Harvest Moon: Animal Parade **_** (The latest Harvest Moon game I've been playing!).  
It is called ****The Harmonica High Bet****. Yes, I know - a high school story. Hehehe, I just think it would be fun to write, especially since I'm still in high school. :) Sooo, if you want, you can go check that out. I'll put a small summary at the end of this chapter. ****

**** ENOUGH TALK! TIME FOR THE NEW CHAPTER! :D ****

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Chapter 10

**Jack's POV**

Ann and I went to the beach much earlier then I thought we would. It wasn't even dark. Apparently, they were going to have a series of games and a swimming contest on the beach for before the fireworks would be lit. I wasn't very sure if I would want to participate, but Ann dragged me there anyways...literally. She ran as fast as she could while I tried to keep hold of her hand and not trip as I tried to keep up. I never knew Ann could run so fast. When we arrived at the beach, a game of tug-a-war had just ended.

"Aww! But that's my favorite game!" Ann complained.

The mayor then took his place in the middle of the crowd to make his announcement.

"All right, everybody! We're about to start the scavenger hunt! You will all randomly draw a number and whoever has your number will be your partner. Now, everybody come for a number if you would like to play!"

Apparently, everybody here wanted to play. I scanned the crowd quickly and concluded that everybody around my age was here except for Mary and the doctor in town. I never did find out his name. He is always working on becoming a better doctor for his patients, so that must explain why he isn't here. I guess Mary just isn't an outside girl. She is always at her library and is terribly shy, but not when it comes to books. It looked like everyone else is here enjoying themselves, except for Gray, who was pulling a piece of paper out of the basket Mayor Thomas was holding. He just looked plain bored.

"Come on, Jack!" Ann shouted as she jumped up and down out of excitement. She grabbed my hand, a little too tight, and pulled me into the crowd to draw a number.

"What did you get?" Ann asked.

"Five. What about you?"

Her eyes showed slight disappointment but she kept a smile. "Two. I wonder who I'm paired up with?"

Everyone was starting to pair up. Elli, a nurse at the clinic, was with Ann. They seemed pretty happy that they were together. Karen was with Rick, Popuri's older brother. Karen groaned, obviously not happy with who she ended up with. Popuri was with Gray and she looked absolutely thrilled. Gray, surprisingly, was blushing lightly. It was bit hard to tell if it was because he was hot or he was actually happy with his pairing. Claire and I were partners. Claire cheered loudly with happiness and I laughed at her enthusiasm. Then, I saw something I was dreading: Cliff and Kai ended up becoming partners. Cliff had a terrified look as Kai glared at him. He tried to hide in his clothes as if he was a turtle hiding in its shell.

Thomas gave everyone a list of items that we had to find to win the game. I looked over the list and was happy. I knew where most of these items were from Roy teaching me about the area.

"Okay, everybody!" Thomas called everybody for attention. "The rules are very simple. You find the items on the list and bring them all back here by noon. The first team to bring me the items win," he explained. "Is everybody ready? On your marks! Get set! Go!"

"What's on the list?" Claire asked impatiently. She looked like a child that had too much candy,

"A pink-cat flower, red grass, blue grass, black grass, wild grapes, and a stick."

"Awesome! We can find most of that in the forest!"

We walked through the forest in search of the items. We had already found the stick, blue grass, and red grass. We were now trying to find a pink-cat flower. She didn't seem concerned at all by the fact that Cliff and Kai were partners.

"Do you know how much Kai wants to kill Cliff right now?" I suddenly asked.

Claire flinched. "What are you talking about?" She asked in confusion.

"Kai is pretty mad that you and Cliff are together."

"Why would he be mad?"

"More like jealous."

"Oh," she said when she figured out what I was talking about. She stared down at the ground as she walked and looked uncomfortable. "I remember when he would ask me out, like, everyday," she rolled her eyes. "Why didn't Cliff tell me?"

"I have no idea," I shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't want to worry you."

"I guess this would explain how he was acting when I saw him yesterday."

I patted her head and smiled. "Don't worry, Claire. Gray and I are going to try fix this," I said to try cheer her up.

"Promise?"

"I pinky promise," I sighed and held out my little finger.

She giggled and wrapped her little finger around mine and moved it up and down. She looked over my shoulder.

"Oh, look, Jack! There's the flower!"

After finding the pink-cat flower, we went to the mine and dug quickly until we found some black grass. Now that we found the last item, we ran as fast as we could to the beach. When we reached the beach, we ran up to Thomas and handed him the items before collapsing in the sand, desperately trying to catch our breath.

"Congratulations! Your team won!" Thomas said. Zack was standing next to him and was very entertained as he watched Claire and I pant. He couldn't stop laughing and had to hold his sides as he did. Once Claire and I caught our breath, Thomas gave us each a small blue ribbon as Zack tried to calm his laughter.

We waited for the others who were still in the scavenger hunt to come back and Claire started to get impatient, so she started building herself a sand castle to entertain herself. She looked like an innocent child. I just sat in the warm sand and watched as Claire tried to make sand people around her castle. When everyone was finally back at the beach, the mayor made another announcement.

"Okay, quiet down, now! We will now have a twenty-minute break from the festival games. After the break, we will hold the swimming race," Thomas said.

After Mayor Thomas finished his announcement, everyone got into small groups and started talking. Claire and Cliff went walking along the beach by themselves, Elli and Karen sat on the bench next to Zack's house and Kai's restaurant, Ann, Popuri, and I sat in the middle of the beach, and Rick, Kai, and Gray were at the pier, helping the older adults some more with the fireworks.

Kai actually wanted to sit with us, but Popuri desperately urged him to help with the fireworks with Rick and Gray. Kai nodded slowly and walked slowly away from our group with his head down. I didn't understand at all why she didn't want Kai to sit with us or why Kai was even saddened about it. I mean, didn't he only come here just to make Claire jealous?

"Why don't you want him to sit with us?" I asked Popuri once Kai had walked too far away to overhear.

Popuri looked to Ann, who nodded, and turned back to me. "I wanted to talk to you guys without him because I'm only here with him to make Gray jealous."

My eyes went wide. "You...like Gray?"

A big smile spread across her face and she giggled. "Yep!"

I scratched my head and glanced over at Gray. Gray and Popuri? I've heard that opposites attract, but those two? I doubt they even have one thing in common.

"Popuri," Ann began, "you never did tell me what you see in him..."

She screamed like an obsessed fan-girl and made both of us jump. "He is sooo cuuute!"

She became jittery as Ann and I looked at each other, noticing how we both wore a frown and turned back to Popuri.

"You mean...you brought Kai over here to make him jealous...just because you think he's cute?"

"Sure! Why else would I like him?"

"Wait..." I said, trying to spit out what I was trying to ask. "When you say cute...you mean good-looking, right?"

Ann rubbed her forehead as Popuri looked puzzled and glanced back and forth between Ann and I.

"Yeah, why?"

"Pop, have you ever had a conversation with him at all?" Ann asked, trying to force a smile.

Popuri put her finger on her lip and thought to herself for a good moment as Ann and I prayed that she would say yes.

"Well, we had to figure out where everything was for the scavenger hunt, silly! I think I'm in love!" Popuri giggled. We sighed. Popuri looked over at Gray and let out another scream. "I'll see you guys later!"

And with that, she left us to go link arms with Kai right in front of Gray and Rick's face. Rick didn't look too happy.

"I can't believe they're using each other like that without knowing," I said.

"I can't believe she's in love with a guy she has never actually talked to." Ann shook her head.

Ann and I didn't talk much after that. For the most part, we watched Popuri as she desperately tried to make Gray jealous until the race was about to begin.

I decided to enter as did Popuri, Claire, Elli, Karen, Rick, and Kai while Ann, Cliff, and Gray sat on the pier to watch the race. The rules for the race were as simple as the scavenger hunt's rules; we were to swim around to the other side of the pier and back to the beach; the first person to finish wins.

* * *

**Ann's POV**

"On your marks! Get set! GO!" The mayor called.

Everyone took off as I watched from the edge of the pier with Cliff and Gray. That was one thing the three of us had in common: we didn't like to swim.

Jack and Kai were tied for first as Popuri started to catch up with the two quickly. She flailed her arms back and forth, trying hard to speed up, not even keeping her face above the water. She kept going and going until she was heading straight for the pier. With her face still in the water, she was unaware of her path.

Cliff, Gray, and I gasped as we heard Rick shouting her name, hoping she would stop. Jack and Kai stopped swimming as they began to heard Rick yell, "Popuri!" and "Stop!". I joined Rick in trying to make her stop.

She obviously couldn't hear us and kept flailing her arms until her head collided with one of the pier's metal legs. You could hear the sound of her head hitting it. The sound even made my head hurt. Popuri's pink hair created a curtain in the water and it quickly began to sink to the bottom.

"POPURI!" Rick screamed as he swam to her.

Suddenly, Gray dived into the water, taking everyone that was watching by surprise. My heart was pounding and I was scared. I anxiously stared at the spot where Gray and Popuri should be underwater as everybody else that was in the water started swimming back to the shore. Bubbles started to form on the surface and then Gray appeared, holding an unconscious Popuri in his arms.

"Help me!" Gray snapped at us.

Cliff and I scrambled over and grabbed each of her arms and pulled her up onto the pier, laying her on her back. I sat by her side, not knowing what to do, as Cliff helped Gray onto the pier. Gray rushed to her side and just stared at her in panic.

"Don't you know CPR?" Cliff asked Gray.

Gray's eyes widened more than they already were. "Y-Yes, but -"

"JUST DO IT!" I screamed.

Gray gulped and hesitantly nodded. He put two hands on her and started compressing them into her chest. He did this repetitively and after doing it dozens of times, he tilted her head, closed her nose gently and breathed into her mouth. Every couple breathes, he would check her pulse, making my heart skip a beat. He repeated this until Popuri started coughing and spitting out water.

Everyone that was still in the water finally made it to the shore and rushed to the pier.

Popuri's face was pale and looked drained of energy. She slowly opened her eyes to see Gray, who was still holding her. Somehow, the way she looked at him was strikingly different than the way she was looking at him earlier. Gray's eyes showed shock and, if I was correct, it looked like he was blushing. In fact, Gray and Popuri were both blushing.

Rick pushed and shoved everyone in the crowd out of the way to reach his little sister. He tripped and then crawled to Popuri's side, pushed Gray out of the way, and took Popuri from him to hold her in his own arms instead.

"Popuri! Are you all right? Is your head okay? Are you breathing fine? Can you stand up?" Rick shot concerned and over protective questions at her like bullets.

She laughed softly under her breath and shook her head. "I think I'm fine," she said as she tried to sit up on her own. She then grabbed her head in pain and whimpered. "Ahh, never mind!" she cried.

"Excuse me," a polite voice said from the crowd. The person with the voice revealed itself to be Elli, the nurse. She calmly pushed her way to Popuri and examined her.

"I'm afraid I'll need you to go to the Clinic with me, so that the doctor can take a look at your head," she said.

Rick nodded and started carrying Popuri into town, following Elli.

The crowd around the pier thinned and Jack met up with Gray and I.

"Gray, that was amazing!" Jack mused. "Where did you learn CPR?"

"I learned it when I was still living in the city," he mumbled.

"I hope she is okay," I said. I was really worried. What if she seriously hurt her head?

Jack rested his hand on my shoulder. "You shouldn't worry about it. I'm sure she will be fine."

I nodded and looked over to Gray. He just stared at the ground. He was breathing heavily, his eyes were cold and he looked like he wanted to punch something.

He looked up at the sky and then to Jack and I and said, "Its getting dark now. The fireworks will start soon," he said with a raspy voice and walked away.

"W-Where are you going, Gray?" Jack asked, sounding a bit disturbed by Gray's attitude.

"I'm going for a walk," he said over his shoulder as he continued to walk towards the beach's stairway exit.

"I don't know about you, but I don't think I can just sit around and watch fireworks after what happened..." I said to Jack.

"It's okay. There is always next year," he shrugged.

"Sheesh, you're so understanding, Jack!"

He blinked. "I-Is that a bad thing?"

"I suppose not."

He smiled showing his pearly white teeth. "C'mon, I'll walk you home," he said offering his hand.

I accepted it and we started walking.

* * *

**** Thank you everybody for reading. Don't think I won't take reviews anymore. I love all reviews! I honestly don't know when the next chapter will be up... Sorry.**

So, here is a little summary on the new story!

Summary: Angela and Molly are twins with very different personalities and move to Castanet Island to finish high school. But what happens when three boys from their class, Luke, Chase and Gill, make a bet involving them? What is the bet? Read to see which who can get one of girls to kiss them first! Who will win and who will lose?

**Hehehe, I think it'll be a cute story so go check it out but only if you want to! I don't want you to feel forced to do anything. :) ****


	11. Sun to Snow

**** Thank you for the reviews! I told you the reviews would motivate me! :) ****

* * *

Chapter 11

**Jack's POV**

Popuri was able to go home after a few days of being in the clinic. While still in the Clinic, Rick would barely let anyone get near her, even the doctor. Popuri eventually convinced Rick that she was fine to make him go home. He is too protective of her. When Ann and I visited her the day before she was released, we were astonished when we saw Gray sitting at Popuri's bedside, waiting for her to wake up. He had bags under his eyes and looked like a zombie. He stared at her serene face. He turned to us and opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but closed it. Ann pulled a chair up beside him.

"Is she okay?" Ann asked gently.

"Yeah, the doctor says she's fine," Gray said.

"How long has she been asleep?"

"A few hours now..."

Our eyebrows rose. "You've been here the entire time?" Ann asked. She looked even more surprised than I was. Gray didn't answer, but, instead, stared at his feet. Ann looked over Popuri carefully. She looked at Popuri's bandaged head, her eyes watering up. Suddenly, Ann noticed that Popuri's eyes twitched slightly as they were trying to close up tighter than they already were. "Can you leave us with Popuri for a little while?" Ann asked. Gray nodded and left the room without making a sound. I walked over and sat in the chair Gray just got out of. Ann waited until Gray was out before she said, "I know you're not asleep."

Popuri peeked through one eye before opening the other. "H-How did you know?" Popuri asked in a whisper.

"If you look closely you can tell," Ann said.

"Why were you pretending to be asleep?" I asked.

Popuri paused for a moment and made sure she didn't make eye contact with either of us when she replied, "I don't feel the same about him anymore..."

Popuri's face slowly turned rosy. Ann extended her arm to touch her face. "Are you getting a fever?" Ann asked. Popuri grabbed Ann's hand and slowly placed it back in Ann's lap and shook her head. Ann and I made some faces out of suspicion. Ann finally said, "You mean you don't like him anymore?"

Popuri shook her head again. "I do, but not for the same reasons anymore. I get nervous when he's around now... It sorta helps when he thinks I'm asleep."

I smirked and Ann laughed under her breath. "Wow, I can't believe you're being shy," I said.

"Yeah, you're never shy. Are you sure you don't have a fever?" Ann said. Popuri didn't answer and Ann seized laughter. "So, what? Are you going to avoid him forever now? Have you even thanked him for saving you yet?"

"No."

I stepped in. "Well, maybe when he comes back you could talk to him and thank him," I suggested. Ann nodded in agreement.

Popuri thought for a moment. "I guess I can do that..."

"WOO!" Ann cheered. Popuri and I laughed.

After Ann and I were finished talking to Popuri, we exited the Clinic and saw Gray sitting, impatiently on a bench in beside the Supermarket and Clinic. We walked over to him and I said, "Hey, you can go back in now. Popuri wants to talk to you too."

He looked slightly stunned. "She does?"

"Yep!" Ann said. "Oh, and if you see her and think she's asleep...don't." She started skipping away until she reached the street corner and waited for me.

He furrowed his eyes in bewilderment and turned to me. "What did she mean by that?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Exactly how she said it," I replied and met up with Ann who took my hand and started walking for the Inn. "You know, I think he's kinda confused right now," I said chuckling a little.

Ann had an amused grin. "I know. That was for just in case Popuri was gonna chicken out."

"You knew she was going to, huh?"

"Ha, she's been my best friend since we were kids." She waved her hand. "I know her every move!"

"Oh, yeah, you weren't surprised at all when you found out she liked Gray," I said sarcastically.

"Hey, that doesn't count! Nobody could've predicted that!" She defended.

I chuckled. "Well, I'm sorry, but I thought you said you knew her 'every move'."

She playfully hit my arm and laughed. "You're such a jerk."

I laughed. "I know."

* * *

Winter came quickly. Nothing too eventful happened besides the annual festivals in Mineral Town since everyone was working none stop to prepare for the long harsh winter to come. Kai had moved away at the end of summer, but is supposed to come back next summer when it is warm again. When he left he was still not speaking to Cliff and was still completely jealous of him. I feel kind of bad for Cliff though. Losing a friend like that must be hard. I sure hope Kai won't be mad with Cliff still when he returns.

My relationship with Ann had grown since. I find her more beautiful and interesting each day that passes. It felt as if the Harvest Goddess herself guided me to Mineral Town just to be with Ann. Like destiny. She wasn't just a girl I was best friends with, she was a girl I was in love with. Every time we kissed it was like a dance party that never wanted to end. And once the dance party did end, you'll be out of breath, but you'll beg for more. Whenever Ann and I were together, all of my bad memories would be forgotten and enable me to relax. Ann really did try to make an effort to help me get over my past, which I was very thankful for. She would actually hang out at the Clinic and ask Elli and the doctor, when he wasn't too busy, for advice during her off days. Yes, she is now having regular days off on Mondays and Wednesdays, but sometimes she'll cheat and work anyways when her father doesn't notice. She was, of course, unwilling at first on having days off, but she has finally warmed up on the idea of having a day all to herself and isn't cheating as often now.

I am still work at Roy's farm with Claire. I see Claire and Roy as family and they accepted me as one of their own as well. Claire was like a sister and Roy was like a grandfather. I loved working at the farm and I was really getting the hang of it.

Claire and I always worked together and talked about whatever came to mind. Unfortunately, this was usually the only time we could hang out because after work, she always wanted to spend time alone with Cliff, but it didn't bother me too much since I spent most of my time after work with Ann anyways.

Roy was just a jolly man that took pride in his work and never judged anyone. Sometimes while working in the field, he would become out of breath and have to sit down. I guess it was his old age catching up with him, so Claire and I would offer to do the rest of his half of the field, but he would stubbornly refuse saying that he needs to "suck it up". Whenever he did this, it reminded me a lot of Ann.

One day, while it was snowing, Roy wanted to go to the forest to get lumber. Claire and I tried to talk him out of it.

"Grandpa, you can't just go to the forest while it's snowing like this!" Claire said. Roy was ready to protest, but before he could, he involuntarily covered his mouth and coughed. "See? You're already getting sick!"

"Why don't you just rest for today, Roy?" I suggested.

"And get lazy? Not a chance! A few hours in the snow won't hurt," Roy said and hacked another cough. That one didn't sound very good.

Claire gritted her teeth. "Why are you being so difficult? We're just doing this because we care!"

"Yeah, we can get lumber tomorrow when it's nice outside," I said.

"You kids worry too much. I can get all of the lumber we need today so that we can upgrade that barn like we've always talked about!" He walked towards the exit, grabbed his rucksack, and put it on his back.

Claire eyeballed the rucksack. "The axe better not be in that bag!"

I sighed. Of course it was in the bag...

Roy ignored Claire. He put his hand on the doorknob.

"Wait, Roy! Please don't go out there," I said. "We really don't want anything bad to happen..."

He cleared his throat and said, "I'll be home before dinner time." He opened the door, letting a rush of cold air and snow enter the farmhouse, and left the building, closing the door behind him.

"Stubborn old fool..." Claire grumbled.

* * *

**** I hope you liked it! ****


	12. Mourning

**** Wooow! Long time no update, huh? Sorry about that... I have been having a bad case of writer's block and I didn't have very much motivation to write this chapter until now. The motivation to write this chapter just sort of appeared out of nowhere! I'd like to say my writing has improved at least a little since my last update on this story (though I feel that this chapter seems sloppy for some reason :S), but I'll let you be the judge of that! :)  
**

**Also, I plan on revising some of my previous chapters. I made some pretty stupid mistakes in them and I really want to go back and correct them. For example: in the first chapter, I wrote "Inn" as "INN". xD I have no idea what I was thinking back then, but that was almost a year ago, so I forgive myself. :P ****

* * *

Chapter 12

**Jack's POV**

Claire sat by Roy's bedside for hours, worried deeply about his sick condition. He coughed and breathed fast as drops of sweat emerged from his skin. But all the while, Roy still had a smile on his face when he looked up at his granddaughter and I.

"This isn't a cold…" Claire muttered.

I nodded in agreement. "He's been like this for days…" I reached out my hand and touched his forehead lightly. "And he still has that fever. I think it's time we take him to the Clinic."

Claire looked at Roy sternly, but gently said, "And we don't want any objections. You're going to see the doctor no matter what you say."

Roy didn't say anything. He just kept looking up with a peaceful smile, as if he were staring up at something so beautiful that it distracted his stubborn side. The only things that would disturb this were the heavy coughs that came with his illness.

After the doctor examined Roy thoroughly, he concluded that Roy had come down with pneumonia. Roy rested in the patient's bed with Claire, once again, sitting by his bedside, holding his frail hand.

"This could explain why you find him out of energy much more easily recently," the doctor said. "Working the way he does with this condition is very reckless."

"Will he be okay?" Claire asked.

The doctor, who I learned was named Trent, sighed. "Not bringing him here sooner has made the disease prolong. He's in rough shape, but we can give him some antibiotics to help. He needs plenty of rest and fluids. I strongly recommend that he stay in the Clinic until he has recovered."

"Of course," I said.

The next few days were terrible. Claire spent most of her time at the Clinic. It took a lot for her to return home to go to sleep and sometimes Elli would generously offer her bedroom so that she could spend the night there.

There was no way I could expect Claire to be in shape to do work, so I took care of the chores at the farm with the help of Ann, Gray and Cliff when they weren't busy. They didn't seem to mind helping out and I was very grateful.

After finishing work, I would visit Roy to see how he was doing. Roy seemed to look worse and worse every day; I had never seen him so lifeless before. He wasn't responding to the antibiotics. But it all ended when one day, when I went for my visit to the Clinic, I walked straight into Roy's room and found his bed empty and made. Confusion and fear welled up inside of me. Then, I felt a hand rest on my shoulder cautiously.

"It happened this morning…" Dr. Trent said in a whisper. I turned around to look at his face. He was bowing his head in shame, as if he blamed himself.

My voice cracked when I asked, "Where's Claire?"

"She's upstairs with Elli. She took it very hard… I'm so sorry."

I offered my hand out to him and shook his. "Thank you for being there."

I then went upstairs and knocked on Elli's bedroom door. Elli opened it and gave me soft smile before saying to Claire, "Look, Claire. Jack is here."

I saw Claire lift her head from the pillow on Elli's bed, as if it weighed a thousand pounds, and sniffled. "Jack?"

"How are you, Claire?" I asked.

She took a deep breath. "Better than how I was earlier…"

I didn't say anything right away. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to say in this kind of situation. "I'm…I'm sorry Claire… I'm going to…miss him too." She stayed quiet, so I tried something else. "Would…it make you feel better if Cliff was here with you?"

"No. I think I just want to be left alone… Thanks."

I did what she requested and left her alone. Maybe that was what she needed: a little time alone to think. I walked to the Inn and noticed how tense my body was. My jaw was clenched, my eyebrows were furrowed, and my hands were closed in tight fists. I had a staring contest with the paved road as I walked. Then, I felt a warm tear fall victim to gravity by traveling to the tip of my nose. I removed it from my face when I drew close to the Inn.

Walking into the Inn, I was immediately captured in a hug by Ann. It caught me off guard, but I hugged her back, burying my face in her neck. I needed that hug.

"How did you know?" I asked.

"Elli let me know a little while ago. I'm so sorry," she said quietly.

"He was like a grandfather to me…"

* * *

There was a big funeral for Roy. Everyone in Mineral Town was there, even the town's con artist, Won. It was evident that Roy was highly respected among his peers. I had never seen so many people wear black at the same time. There were also so many people shedding tears over the loss. The whole time, my throat felt like sand paper and my stomach felt empty. I looked over at Claire and was surprised to see that she wasn't crying at all. She was, instead, staring firmly at Roy's coffin.

Claire stayed with Elli for a while; we didn't want for Claire to have to stay at the farm all by herself. But she came back to work on the farm with me. Whenever we worked, she still had that mournful expression that would reoccur, but she quickly shook it out when she noticed it was there. She was also silent when we worked. She wouldn't talk to me unless I was to talk to her first, which was odd because she always flapped her jaws when we worked together.

One day, not too long after the funeral, Mayor Thomas visited Claire and I while we were still harvesting the crops. He asked for us to speak with him, so we all met inside the farmhouse. He sat on the living room couch quietly, thinking of what he was going to say and how it should be said.

"Kids," he began, "let me first say that I'm sorry for your loss."

"It's fine… We're okay," Claire reassured him. "Was there something you wanted to talk to us about?"

Thomas nodded. "Roy had a will. He wanted me to keep it for safekeeping." He pulled out a big, yellow envelope that was sealed by a red ribbon.

"W-What does it say?" I stammered.

"Roy requests that Claire takes over his farm and that you work under her. But…if Claire declines the ownership of the farm, then you are to take over and Claire may work under you…if she wishes. If both of you decline, then the farmland will be handed over, half and half, to Lillia of Poultry Farm and Barley of Yodel Farm." He turned to Claire. "It's your decision, miss."

Claire and I looked at each other. "We can't just hand over Grandpa's farm," she said. She looked around, gazing at her grandfather's furniture and belonging inside the farmhouse. She cleared her throat before she spoke. "I'll do it," she breathed.

* * *

"She's not herself anymore," Cliff told me while he twirled his fork around in a plate of cold, untouched spaghetti. He pushed the worm-like food from one side of the plate to the other from nervous habit. "I can barely get her to talk to me… I'm worried."

"I am too," I said. "You know what she does sometimes when we're working? She'll just start crying out of nowhere… She won't even tell me why."

"I know what you mean. I've tried asking what's the matter or if there's anything I can do to make her feel better, but she insists on not talking about it. It's kinda frustrating when she won't let me help her."

"Maybe she needs to get out a little more. Do you think we can invite some friends here and all have dinner together or something?"

"Yeah, that's sounds great! Maybe being surrounded by some friends will help. We can invite Gray and Ann and she can invite Popuri. Isn't she friends with Elli? We can invite Elli too!"

I smiled. "I swear, Claire won't be able to stay upset with little-ray-of-sunshine Popuri around her! Tonight?"

"Sure," Cliff agreed. "I'll go ask Elli if she can come now!" He threw himself out of his chair and began to run out of the Inn, yelling behind his shoulders, "This is going to work!"

I chuckled. Ann then walked out from the back with a puzzled expression, but her face changed when she looked down at the cold food Cliff left behind.

"Hmph! I took time to cook that spaghetti and he didn't eat one bite!" Ann fumed as she picked up Cliff's dishes.

"He did play with it though," I said, still chuckling.

She walked to the backroom kitchen to put the dirty dishes away, so I followed behind. "I can tell," she said with a hint of a smile creeping up on her lips. "It's all on one side of this darn plate. What a waste!" She picked up a sponge and scrubbed the plate diligently. "So, what was Cliff yelling about when he left?" she asked.

"Well, we were thinking about inviting Claire and a bunch of friends to dinner here tonight to cheer her up."

"That's really nice of you guys. She does seem under the weather lately," she added.

"Yeah, hopefully this works. She isn't taking Roy's death very well."

"I don't see why she would," she said, putting the now clean plate with all of the other spotless dishes. She leaned on the kitchen counter beside me. "He was the only family she had left."

I sighed. "I feel so bad for her right now…"

Ann smiled gently and slipped her hand in mine. "It'll be better. Things will work out in the end."

"How do you know?"

She shrugged. "I just do," she softly said.

That night, everyone we invited was at the Inn. There were so many smiling faces, so it was face to say that the dinner was going great. But to be sure, I looked over at Claire. She was not smiling. Her mouth was in a straight line while she held Cliff's hand and listened to him talk to her. She looked much more afraid than sad. That was when I tried to get Popuri to talk. Popuri started talking in her high, squeaky voice about things that made her giggle like flowers, boys, and chickens. It seemed to make Claire the slightest bit happy, judging by the new look in her eyes, but I failed to see a complete smile.

At the end of the dinner, when everyone who didn't live at the Inn was preparing to leave for home, Claire stood up and gave everyone a long hug, which they were not expecting at all. Cliff exchanged the same look that I had, which read confusion. It was pretty weird that, after acting rather vapid throughout the dinner, she then turned her attitude around and embraced everyone as if she were to never see them again.

"Cliff," Claire said, "I want to stay with you tonight."

Cliff flushed instantly. "Y-You mean…in my room?"

Gray shared the same scarlet face as Cliff. He nudged me with his elbow. "Hey, I think I'm taking that spare bed in your room tonight…"

Cliff then shot him a look, but Claire ignored what Gray said. She only looked up into Cliff's blue eyes. "Yes, in your room."

"Uhh, w-well, I-I g-guess if you w-w-want to…" Cliff stumbled upon his words. "Ann, c-can she?"

Ann nodded. "No charge," she said to Claire.

Claire smiled. It wasn't very big, but it was the biggest smile we got out of her that night. "Thank you, Ann. You've always been so nice to me. I want you to know that I've really appreciated it."

Ann raised her eyebrows. "Oh, well, you're welcome, Claire."

"Well, I'm really tired, guys," Claire said, stretching her arms out over her head. "I think I'm going to call it a night. Are you coming, Cliff?"

"O-Oh, sure. I'll see you guys in the morning, I guess," he said, following Claire upstairs.

The next morning, a loud banging on my bedroom door woke me up. I heard an irritated groan from the bed beside me.

"Argghhh," it moaned. I could tell then that it was Gray. "Who the hell is banging on the freakin' door?"

I rubbed the sleepiness from my eyes a opened the door. It was a panicking Cliff, holding a piece of paper in his hand.

"She's gone!" he said.

"What?"

He shoved the piece of paper in my face. "Read it!"

Gray was getting up from bed now that he saw Cliff freaking out. Cliff paced the floor as I read the note.

* * *

_If you are reading this, then I've already left Mineral Town. Yes, I'm leaving Mineral Town. Grandpa's death is just too much for me to handle right now. Everything that I look at in this town some way or another reminds me of Grandpa…_

_So I want to spend some time away from Mineral Town. This will give me some time to clear my head and get over everything. I'm sorry that I'm leaving so suddenly, especially to Cliff and Jack, but I need to do this._

_Cliff, I love you. I really hope you aren't angry with me for doing this. I promise that this is for the best. I don't know where this puts our relationship, but I want you to know that there won't be anyone that I love more than you._

_Jack, I decline ownership of the farm. According to that will Grandpa wrote, you should have the farm now. I'm sorry for leaving you with all of this work on your hands. You are my best friend and you are like a brother to me._

_To whoever is reading this, don't think I'm leaving forever. I promise I'll be back… I just don't know when. I'm doing this because I feel like I have to. Time away from Mineral Town will do me good. Good luck to everyone. I'll see you all soon… Goodbye._

_Love, Claire_

* * *

**** Sorry to end the chapter on a depressing note. :/ I'm not sure when my next update will be... Just giving you a heads up if you don't see an update for a while... ****_  
_


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